My name is Lisa, I’m 24 and I started volunteering at Keech charity shop in April 2010. I work in a school so the school holidays are an ideal time for me to help. Due to my previous retail experience, including working for Superdrug, Bodycare and The Cooperative Food Store, I can work behind the till, put out clothes and other items and generally enjoy being in a retail environment with, yes, ‘the public’.   

The local Keech charity shop, situated by the bus station in Bedford town centre, currently has 21 volunteers to help run it from Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm. It opened on Saturday, 17^th December 2010, one of 24 charity shops in Bedford town centre. Behind the scenes, getting the space at 24 Allhallows ready for business, was Linda Roberts who has been there from Day 1. Linda is deputy manager as well as one of the kindest people I have ever met. Customers know her for the warmth and friendliness of the reception you get every time you visit the shop.

When Amanda Rochester first joined Keech Hospice Care Charity Shop a year ago there was much anticipation. As staff, we wondered and speculated about this new mystery ‘manager to-be’. We had been told that the she had been to the shop as a mystery shopper and kept her identity veiled. A bit sneaky some might say, but me, I thought: how professional, clever. This lady means business. When I met her my instincts were confirmed. Passion? – tick. Experienced? – tick. Organised? – definite tick! A manager who is going to get things done (and who constantly works from her never-ending to do list). Amanda’s drive to make the shop as profitable as possible has meant that the Bedford shop regularly makes the top 5 out of the 19 Keech charity shops in Beds, Herts and Bucks every week.

Keech Hospice Care Is Always There

“Keech Hospice Care provides essential healthcare for people with life limiting conditions. Their aim is to help patients enjoy the highest quality of life, while providing vital support for their family and friends throughout their loved one's illness and in their bereavement.”

“All of the charity's services are offered free of charge, every single day of the year. This is all made possible because of the generous support of the local community. The aim is to make efficient treatment and care available to our patients; to assist in the relief of their physical and emotional suffering and to help them to lead an acceptable, purposeful and fulfilling life in their home or in the hospice”.

As a charity, Keech only receives around a quarter of its annual income from statutory sources, leaving the remaining 75% to be raised independently. £2500 is the money it takes, per day, to run the Hospice in Luton where specialist care is provided. The cost of one-to-one nursing is £500 per patient per day.

You the customer... you the volunteer?

Often, customers are the people who make for great volunteers. Perhaps because you have your own association of what is good and what people like to see when they walk into a shop. As a customer though, you make your own decisions; to browse, to buy. As a volunteer, 95% of the time, says manager Amanda you have to be a team player. “I wouldn’t ask any of my volunteers to do something that I wouldn’t do myself”.

Whether or not you are in paid employment, volunteering can be for everyone. It is all about ‘giving something back’ to the community. The best thing about it is, any amount of time you can offer is appreciated and hours are flexible around you and your other commitments. Another thing I like about volunteering is the satisfaction it gives me in contributing towards helping the wider society and the responsibility that brings is embraced, not scary. Aside from the fact that it looks good on your CV, spending your time in the voluntary sector automatically means you will meet new people, gain valuable industry experience, feel a sense of belonging  (great for people who live on their own) and all these factors combined make us feel good about ourselves. It’s an investment of time and yes there is work involved but what you get back is so self-enriching and life-nourishing you can’t put a price on it. Perhaps the most valuable experiences are ones we choose ourselves in our own time. So what are you doing next week... fancy volunteering?

Contact details and relevant information

http://www.keech.org.uk/

Any quality donations of clothing, bric-a-brac, books, electrical products, toys, CDS, DVDS, linen, handbags, shoes, furniture or other items would gratefully received at 24 Allhallows, Bedford MK40 1LJ. Telephone: 01234 364720

If you are a UK tax payer, you can use to Gift Aid your donations. These means that for every pound Keech makes on the donation the Government will give Keech back 25 pence.