Our shop volunteers: "I feel like I'm doing something to help"

Each week, more than one hundred volunteers sort through donated pre-loved books, clothes and household goods to keep the shelves of our seven (soon to be eight) second-hand shops well stocked.

On top of that, they are a friendly presence in the local community and are proud to make the shopping experience more sustainable. We really couldn’t do without them. 

Walking past our Andersonstown Road shop in Belfast one morning, a sign in the window for volunteers caught local resident Brenda’s attention. She went straight inside, filled out an application form and started later that very same day. It was as simple as that.

“I haven't looked back,” she said. “I love it. For me personally, that's what it's about, to get something to fill my day…And you know how much good Concern are doing.”

Ten months on and Brenda is still volunteering, her shop floor skills are now refined.

“We’ll sort out the donations into basically the good, the bad and the ugly,” she jokes. “It just depends on what we have.”

But nothing goes to waste. Anything that can’t be sold is sent for recycling. 

Like many of the volunteers, “the constant flow of stuff in, stuff out, steaming, labelling, selling, chatting to people and getting to know the customers” is what makes Brenda’s time in the shop memorable. 

Alongside that, she takes pride in making the shop as inviting as possible.

“You work at keeping the place nice because people always comment that this branch is lovely and bright,” she said.

And the best part is the anticipation when a donation arrives through the door. 

“I feel very excited if it's bric-a-brac because you never know what's going to be in that bag or that box. We've had the strangest things come in.”

They include a ukulele, toy train sets and retro china cups and saucers – all of which have been sold in the past few weeks.

Brenda’s advice for anyone considering the role is unequivocal: “Don't give it a second thought. Just come ahead and you'll find it very rewarding.”

With tonnes of professional retail management experience behind her, Geraldine has dedicated the past five years of her life as a volunteer in Concern’s shop on Belfast’s busy Ormeau Road, as well as covering in one of the other shops.

She enjoys the added responsibility that comes with her expertise in the retail sector, particularly showing new volunteers the ropes. But what is most satisfying, she tells us, is the opportunity to "unleash my creativity on the window display".

Like Brenda, Geraldine just can’t wait to delve inside a bag or box of newly arrived donations: “We don't know what treasures we're going to unlock when we open the bag,” she said. 

As well as the usual mix of items, it's jewellery, ornaments and designer clothes that stand out for Geraldine. And there’s added value in knowing that buying a second-hand high-quality outfit is a sustainable way to shop.

“It's just nice to think that somebody would donate that rather than have it hang in a wardrobe and knowing that that's going to have a second life with someone else.”

Another plus for Geraldine is that the shop is “a bit of a social hub”, with regular customers calling in not just to browse and buy, but to chat to the volunteers. And it works both ways. She says that one of the volunteers “has totally come out of his shell and he loves it”. 

“He’s our top steamer,” she added. “He's an amazing volunteer. All of the volunteers are amazing. They all have their own strengths and they all bring something to the shop.”

By far the greatest motivation is knowing the impact she is making. 

“It just gives me a lot of pleasure to give some of my free time and I feel like I'm doing something to help benefit Concern wanting to end extreme poverty. 

"And to know that my small contribution for the hours that I work and also for the other volunteers is helping."

Former primary school teacher Gillian volunteers one afternoon a week in Concern’s Holywood bookshop along with her husband, Richard. 

It's a busy place, with donations a regular and constant fixture, so a large part of Gillian and her fellow volunteers' time is spent making sure that the quality of books on the shelves remains high.

“People are very generous with their donations,” said Gillian. "We go through those and we check that they're all intact and all the pages are there. And then we have nearly the size of the shop at the back and we categorise whether it's fiction or a thriller or historical fiction or whatever.”

Gillian has been volunteering for the past two years. During that time, she has seen highly valuable books donated, such as a signed first edition Seamus Heaney.

There are other occasions, though, when she has unearthed much more personal treasures from house clearances, offering a glimpse into people's lives.

“It can be quite poignant," she admitted. "This is somebody's life in boxes. And we have had a few incidences where there are things in the box and we've been able to track down and say: do you realise this scrapbook...was in here. And they have been overjoyed to have them back again."

Now that she's retired, Gillian feels that volunteering is an important way to invest her time and energy.

“It's just nice that when you've worked all your life to give a little bit of time back,” she said.

Her previous career in teaching still influences her role in the shop.

“I particularly enjoy it when the children come in,…helping them with their books and letting them have a bit of fun. They like to ring the bell on the desk and call me from the back. We do a little pantomime.”

There is one downside to her experience, though. Gillian admits to being hugely disappointed that she wasn't on shift the days Jamie Dornan, Hugh Grant and Pierce Brosnan called in for a browse.

But she's still hopeful that she'll get to see a famous face in the shop one day.

For retiree Richard, his volunteering days at Concern’s Holywood bookshop all started as a customer.

“I was regularly coming down here buying books and bringing them back,” he said. “I treated it very much as almost like a library and just really enjoyed the shop and saw the sign saying volunteers needed.”

After signing up to volunteer along with wife Gillian, Richard spends four hours a week in the bookshop. 

He says the time "just flies in". The flexibility to choose how long to dedicate each week to volunteering is important.

For Richard, the most significant benefit is that the shop enables him to connect with friends and locals. And then, there's the immense satisfaction at being able to direct customers to the book that's right for them.

“The customers are great,” he said. “I know a lot of people coming in and out of the shop anyway. And you have your regulars coming in, you know what they're looking for. And sometimes you'll even be pointing them towards a particular area saying, I know you'll be interested in this. It's just a nice community.”

Another aspect is the positive effect volunteering has on health - and the far-reaching impact that funds raised for Concern will have on the lives of people in difficult situations.

“For people who, like me, are retired, it's a known fact that volunteering is better for your health," he said. "It keeps the grey matter going.

"It's also something beneficial. Concern Worldwide is a charity that we would have supported anyway. So it's a win-win situation.”

A huge thanks to all our volunteers on this, Volunteers Week, for their hard work and commitment. We couldn't do it without them!

For more information on volunteering opportunities with Concern