General volunteer sales assistant volunteer volunteer roles

Our shops help raise vital funds, and volunteering with us is a great way to make a difference, meet new people, and join a fantastic team. Volunteering in our shops offers a variety of exciting tasks. From sorting, steaming, and pricing donations to spotting hidden gems, you'll roll up your sleeves in the backroom and assist on the shop floor. Engaging with customers is key, whether you're serving with a smile, working the till or helping donors complete Gift Aid forms.

Creating a warm, friendly and inviting space is just as important. You'll help design eye-catching window displays, keep the space tidy, and use your creativity to ensure everything looks its best, encouraging customers to return.

No special skills are needed as we’ll show you what to do, and we provide all the training you’ll need.

Our shops help raise vital funds, and volunteering with us is a great way to make a difference, meet new people, and join a fantastic team. Volunteering in our shops offers a variety of exciting tasks. From sorting, steaming, and pricing donations to spotting hidden gems, you'll roll up your sleeves in the backroom and assist on the shop floor. Engaging with customers is key, whether you're serving with a smile, working the till or helping donors complete Gift Aid forms.

Creating a warm, friendly and inviting space is just as important. You'll help design eye-catching window displays, keep the space tidy, and use your creativity to ensure everything looks its best, encouraging customers to return.

No special skills are needed as we’ll show you what to do, and we provide all the training you’ll need. 

Our shops help raise vital funds, and volunteering with us is a great way to make a difference, meet new people, and join a fantastic team. Volunteering in our shops offers a variety of exciting tasks. From sorting, steaming, and pricing donations to spotting hidden gems, you'll roll up your sleeves in the backroom and assist on the shop floor. Engaging with customers is key, whether you're serving with a smile, working the till or helping donors complete Gift Aid forms.

Creating a warm, friendly and inviting space is just as important. You'll help design eye-catching window displays, keep the space tidy, and use your creativity to ensure everything looks its best, encouraging customers to return.

No special skills are needed as we’ll show you what to do, and we provide all the training you’ll need.

Our shops help raise vital funds, and volunteering with us is a great way to make a difference, meet new people, and join a fantastic team. Volunteering in our shops offers a variety of exciting tasks. From sorting, steaming, and pricing donations to spotting hidden gems, you'll roll up your sleeves in the backroom and assist on the shop floor. Engaging with customers is key, whether you're serving with a smile, working the till or helping donors complete Gift Aid forms.

Creating a warm, friendly and inviting space is just as important. You'll help design eye-catching window displays, keep the space tidy, and use your creativity to ensure everything looks its best, encouraging customers to return.

No special skills are needed as we’ll show you what to do, and we provide all the training you’ll need.

Our shops help raise vital funds, and volunteering with us is a great way to make a difference, meet new people, and join a fantastic team. Volunteering in our shops offers a variety of exciting tasks. From sorting, steaming, and pricing donations to spotting hidden gems, you'll roll up your sleeves in the backroom and assist on the shop floor. Engaging with customers is key, whether you're serving with a smile, working the till or helping donors complete Gift Aid forms.

Creating a warm, friendly and inviting space is just as important. You'll help design eye-catching window displays, keep the space tidy, and use your creativity to ensure everything looks its best, encouraging customers to return.

No special skills are needed as we’ll show you what to do, and we provide all the training you’ll need.

Our small friendly Charity Shop in South Westminster

As well as being an important source of revenue for the Centre, the shop on Horseferry Road is the public face of the Cardinal Hume Centre to the residents and workers of Westminster. It can be a very busy environment with lots of regular customers. You will be part of a friendly, international team!  You will receive excellent support and opportunities to learn team skills and customer service.  You can obtain a reference for future employers.

How does this role make a difference?

You will be part of the fundraising team, raising funds to support the work of the Cardinal Hume Centre and promoting the work of the Centre to the public. Typically, the Charity Shop raises in the region of £50,000 per year.

What will you be doing?

Flexibility will be given where possible, but in general, volunteers will undertake the following tasks as part of this role:

· Customer service on the till

· Cashing up at the end of the day and walking the takings round to the reception and handing in to Finance Team

· Greeting and helping customers

· Replenishing the stock on the shop floor

· Sorting donations

· Helping present top items in window display and around the shop

· Promoting the work of the Centre to the public

Want to increase your skills in retail?

If you want to develop in this role, we are keen to support you.  There are more responsibilities you can take on in the shop, for example; opening and closing the shop, cashing up at the end of the day and helping with the induction of new volunteers.  Let us know if this interests you.  We also have employment advisors who can provide employment support.  Furthermore, if you want to expand your experience in the voluntary sector, you can combine your role in the shop with a volunteer role elsewhere in the organisation.

What are we looking for?

No special qualifications are needed to work in our shop, as relevant training will be given, however, we will be asking for the following qualities:

· Over 16+

· Good spoken English needed – at least Entry Level 3

· The ability to contribute to a positive team culture and atmosphere

· Be able to provide a friendly, high-quality service to customers

· A commitment to equal opportunities and to treating all individuals who visit or work in the shop with dignity and respect

· Physically fit - able to lift light bags and boxes and to comfortably use the stairs between the shop floor and the stock room.  Manual handling training will be given.

What is the time commitment?

The shop opening hours are 10am – 4.30pm, Monday – Friday.  A full or half day (10 – 1pm or 1 – 4.30pm) is ideal, but we are flexible and are grateful for even a couple of hours help each week. Ideally, volunteers will commit to a period of at least 4 months.

How will you be supported?

· You will be supported and trained in all areas of retail and customer service by the Charity Shop Manager and the Assistant Shop Manager.

· You will receive a Centre induction from a Volunteer Coordinator

· You will be reimbursed for reasonable and agreed ‘out-of-pocket’ expenses such as travel and also lunch if working a full day.

· For volunteers who stay for more than three months, we are happy to provide a reference.

Based right in the heart of the city, Shopmobility is a vital and much loved service for all of our customers.  A place where they know they will be listened to, treated with dignity and provided with the best assistance we can offer them, to live their lives independently.

Equal Lives is a user led Disabled People's Organisation and we're really proud of Shopmobility!  It's the part of our organisation which is people facing, the part where our staff and volunteers get to represent us and interact with our customers on a daily basis.  So, it's vital that we have the right people on hand and that's where you come in!

If you've got a passion to help the Disabled community by empowering them to live the life they deserve, then you're our kind of person.  We're looking for those compassionate individuals who want to help others, who are happy to give a few minutes to listen to someone's story, to ask how their day was and to support them in working out the best solutions to suit their needs.

Shopmobility is a scheme that supports people to hire mobility aids during their visit to the city. We're based in Chantry Place (previously Chapelfield Shopping Centre) and we are looking for volunteers to help with all aspects of the day-to-day running of the shop.This is a great opportunity to volunteer, build your skills and meet new people! 

Role overview: 

 As is typical of working with the community, no one day is the same.  As such, the role may include, but is not limited to: 

• Opening the site ready for business and helping to prepare the shop 
• Closing the shop at the end of the day 
• Greeting customers and acting as a friendly, supportive and welcoming face 
• Supporting customers to work out what they need, and to hire the equipmen
• Keeping the site looking presentable and welcoming
• Handling cash and taking card payments
• Supporting people to sign up as Shopmobility members and to join Equal Lives as members
• Responding to queries on social media, email and telephone
• Taking future bookings for the equipment 
• Cleaning and maintenance of vehicles when they’re returned 
• Marketing and promoting the shop 
• Some other occasional ad hoc tasks as required

We’ll give you: 

• Comprehensive training, including Customer Service, GDPR, Safeguarding and Data Protection 
• The opportunity to choose your days and hours (within our opening times of Tuesday to Friday)
• An accessible city centre location 
• A variety of activities to challenge you and develop your skills 
• The opportunity to take on additional responsibilities as you gain experience 
• Specific tasks focusing on the skills you want to gain 
• A friendly and supportive team of staff and volunteers 
• A mapped out plan of personal development to help you evidence your professional progression

You will be doing really important work with this role, supporting those with mobility issues access the City to lead more independent lives. This opportunity gives you a fantastic chance to learn and develop great transferable skills. 

If you are looking for a volunteer role which gives you the chance to make a real difference to people's lives, this role could be for you. 

Volunteering Arrangements 

 The site will follow the COVID19 safety guidelines and volunteers will be reimbursed reasonable expenses incurred whilst supporting us.

All volunteers are required to undertake our core training programme. This covers basic safeguarding and other key features, such as data protection.

New volunteers will have an opportunity to ‘shadow’ experienced volunteers and members of staff 

Potentially, depending on the candidate, there may be additional opportunities to participate in a variety of accredited training courses. Please ask a manager for further details. 

Volunteers are required to adhere to the organisation’s policies and practice guidelines. 

Reasonable expenses, including travel whilst undertaking this role will be reimbursed. This includes mileage (currently £0.45 p/mile) and parking costs. 

Person specification 

• Honesty
• An ability to be empathic, whilst maintaining professional boundaries 
• Reliability, and only committing to a level of volunteering which is realistic 
• Good interpersonal skills 
• The ability to be non-judgemental 
• Good verbal and written communication skills 
• Excellent listening skills 
• Commitment to attend training courses and team meetings 
• Ability to follow organisational policies and procedures including safeguarding, data protection and health and safety
• Dedicated to the empowerment of Disabled people