‘I can guarantee you’ll make new friends’
A woman has been praised for dedicating 40 years to a charity shop in Anlaby. Gillian Smith said her favourite role is making sure every customer feels welcome and valued.
40 years ago, Gillian was passing the Scope charity shop in Anlaby, near Hull, and knowing that volunteers were vital, she went to speak to the Shop Manager. Within minutes, the Shop Manager asked what hours could she do.
Since then, Gillian has gone on to volunteer more than 8,320 hours for Scope. The charity said she’s help to handle 48,000 bags over her 40 years.
Gillian said: “I can’t believe I’ve been here for 40 years. It seems like yesterday that I saw the new charity shop on Hull Road. I knew charity shops need volunteers, although I had worked, I’d never tried volunteering. I popped in to ask about volunteering opportunities and thought it sounded very exciting, especially knowing I’d be helping to make a real difference helping the charity to support disabled people.
“Within minutes, the Shop Manager asked what hours would suit me. I instantly replied Wednesday afternoons. It happened in a blink of the eye and I’ve been on Wednesday afternoons ever since. Although, a key trait required is flexibility, so I do have the odd other day instead.
“I’ve always worked on the till. That means I get to speak to our wonderful customers. We always have some good laughs and chats. But sometimes people say “thank you for chatting” to them. They say we’re the only people they’ve spoken to all week. It makes me realise how important our role is in the community. We all go out of our way to make sure everyone is welcomed, valued and can feel safe in our shop.
She continued: “Our customers also care about us. If they don’t see us for a while, they’re always concerned about our wellbeing. It’s so lovely to hear them say they missed us. It really makes you happy to be volunteering in such a caring community.
“I have a goal every week and that’s to make sure every customer buys something before they leave. I think what hidden gems they could have got, for a bargain whilst also raising funds for the charity.
“We once had a customer in who admired a stunning red coat. I pointed out we also had it in green and having the two, would be great for her wardrobe. She was trying to justify not buying either, but in the end, she bought the two. She may have donated them back the next day, for all I know, but at that time, she seemed very happy.
Reflecting on her time at the charity, she said: “I’ve seen so many changes and it’s not just from the different fashion trends. Over the decades it’s been wonderful seeing customers children growing up and bringing their own children or grandchildren to the shop.
“Over the years there have been some challenging times with new IT technology and new tills. I must admit I’m still not a fan of IT, but there’s plenty of training on hand for those looking to volunteer through Scope’s online training courses.
“The funniest donation I can remember is an old fashioned meat mincer, given to us, complete with meat. Obviously, we couldn’t sell the meat, but it was thoughtful, I suppose.
Speaking about anyone considering volunteering, she said: “You get so much back from volunteering I’d definitely recommend it to everyone. The hours are flexible, fitting in with your time and you don’t need any experience, you’ll be trained on the job and will be given the tasks you enjoy the most. The team here at Scope go out of the way to make you feel a valuable part of the team.
“I realise volunteering isn’t for everyone, but I’d still recommend you give it a try. If you’re not happy doing it, just let the team know and you can end on a high, knowing you’ve given it a go.
“If you’re looking for work experience, volunteering looks great on your CV. Or if you want to get out of the house for a few hours, volunteering is a very sociable activity and I can guarantee you’ll make new friends.”
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Vicky Gray, Shop Manager, Scope charity shop, Anlaby, said: “I am so proud and honoured to have Gillian as part of our volunteer team in Anlaby. Her dedication to Scope, helping us to create an equal future, with disabled people, has been absolutely incredible and we can’t thank her enough.
“I’m so pleased she volunteers for us, she’s an expert salesperson. She has a way of encouraging customer to buy at least one item before leaving. Even if it’s a small, less expensive item, it all adds up and that goes towards the charity supporting disabled people.
“Everyone of us has enjoyed her advice, mentoring, dedication and constant reliability. I hope Gillian isn’t thinking of retiring anytime soon because I look forward to working with her in the coming years.”
Debbie Boylen, Head of Retail, at disability equality charity Scope said: “I can confidently speak on behalf of everyone at Scope in saying we’d all like to thank Gillian for her incredible kindness and generosity, giving us 40 years of her time, to help raise vital funds for the charity. Her contribution has been invaluable. It’s enabled us to continue supporting disabled people and their families and during this cost of living crisis, they’ve never needed our help more than now.
“Volunteers are the life line for charities and without them, we certainly couldn’t run our charity shops efficiently. We’re so proud of all our amazing volunteers and we’re honoured to celebrate Gillian’s achievement for her long term service. We really hope to have Gillian’s wonderful support at our Anlaby shop for many more years to come.”