“You get so much back from volunteering, I’d definitely recommend it to everyone.”
The shop is an important part of the community, and Gillian’s favourite role, one she thoroughly excels in, is making every customer feel welcomed and valued.
Gillian Smith 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.
“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 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.
“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 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.
“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.”
Vicky Gray, Shop Manager at the Scope charity shop in 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 customers 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.
“Every one 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 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 forty 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 lifeline for charities. 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.”
Gillian’s volunteering impact in numbers
- Gillian has volunteered one afternoon a week for four hours, from 1pm to 5pm, meaning she’s volunteered for 8,320 hours for Scope.
- Gillian has handled 25 bags of donations during each of her afternoons. That’s 48,000 bags over 40 years.
- Scope estimates that each bag of donations is worth £15, therefore Gillian has helped Scope Anlaby to raise, at today’s evaluation, £576,000.