The NHS says “there’s good evidence that volunteering brings benefits to both the person volunteering & the organisation & people they support... Improved quality of life.. Better ability to cope with ill health.. Healthier lifestyle.. Meeting new people.. Improved self-esteem & sense of purpose... Click here for more detail
Why Volunteer With Us?
* Be a Volunteer Buddy - if you are someone who enjoys supporting & enabling others we would love to hear from you. In the past Talking shop has welcomed & encouraged people from all walks of life with different experiences to come together & work to a common purpose. We have people who would like to work but may need the extra support of someone working alongside them. If you love cooking you could be a buddy in the kitchen; if you’ve got green fingers, in our garden; if you’re comfortable chatting with customers, help someone find their feet behind the shop counter. * Volunteer in the shop – at the moment we’ve got vacancies in our afternoon shifts (12-3) on Mon to Wed & Thurs mornings (9-12)
I had come into the shop in the first lockdown to buy food for my parents who were self-isolating, this was when none of us wanted to go into the big supermarkets & being able to find a delivery or click & collect slot was pretty much impossible! I really appreciated & valued the shop at this time, the volunteers were helpful & kind as we all navigated our way through the new reality. I found volunteering really helpful, it provided a structure & routine again to my groundhog days. I loved meeting & seeing lots of different people & sharing those difficulties we were all experiencing… for me, home-schooling and churning out endless meals again!! Six months later I am still here, now working alongside our two other managers in a new role that is responsible for recruiting more volunteers & helping people to restart activities and groups that so many people enjoyed before. We’re starting to think about getting more things going & creating more ways to get people together. Inevitably, as we open up & start to do more, we’ll need more volunteers to help share the load & welcome more customers in. There are myriad ways to help & it doesn’t need to be in the shop! * Join our Customer Council – help us to ensure the shop is as convenient & useful for as many different households as possible. The Customer Council works with the managers on prices, stock range, suppliers & more. Just a couple of hours every few weeks. * Social Media Volunteer – keep us & our customers up to date, help us reach people who’d like to know about us. Could be a great work experience project (good on your CV & for references). * Collecting Stock – we get strawberries & asparagus from Rectory Farm, Stanton St John & we’d love to get more but they don’t deliver. Please let us know if you would like to join the team for pick ups – it’s an easy drive & another great way of helping us!
How to Find Out More or Get Involved
To get involved or to ask any questions please use our contact form here.