Community Hub Love Wavertree are asking people to ‘Gift a Shift’ in their ReLoved shop in the run up to Christmas so I went along to see how I could help.
Like many charity shops, ReLoved are always in need of an extra pair of hands to help out.
To encourage more volunteers, they have launched their #GiftAShift campaign where they’re asking people to give a Christmas gift of their time and help out in a variety of ways whilst having fun and making new friends.
I got in touch with Ian from Love Wavertree and he told me they particularly needed help on Thursdays so I booked myself in for a Thursday morning shift.
When I arrived, Ian gave me a tour of the building (including the grotto!), made me a cuppa and talked me through the volunteering opportunities.
There are loads of ways to help, from sorting donations to tidying stock and even arranging window displays or just being a friendly face for visitors to the shop to talk to.
As the shop was short staffed, Ian decided to give me basic training on the till and get me “playing shop”! I had to brush up on my mental arithmetic to make sure I was giving the correct change but apart from that it was straightforward and fun!
Most items are priced, but staff are prepared to listen to offers and strike deals (it’s part of the fun!) which can sometimes work in their favour as in my first hour we took an unexpected £10 for a box of a few records!
All money raised goes back into the community and Love Wavertree have recently provided free school uniforms and Christmas presents to local children.
Aside from #GiftAShift, ReLoved need volunteers all year round. If you’re friendly and adaptable it’s a great way to spend a few hours. I decided I’d like to do more shifts but I can’t commit to specific times so I was pleased to know they welcome volunteers offering to help at short notice. I’ll definitely be back!
For more information visit www.lovewavertree.org, Twitter: @LoveWavertree Instagram: @lovewavertree
