It's Volunteering Week!

Get a taste of big society at your local charity shop

Find out what volunteering can do for you and your community at one of the Octavia Foundation's charity shops during national Volunteers Week.

The Octavia Foundation charity shops rely on the enthusiasm of dedicated local volunteers to help run their 22 shops around West London - the profits from the shops go back into funding local community projects.

Eleanor Bennett has been volunteering in the shops for the past 12 years. She said:

‘I have found my niche in working within the bookshop at Octavia as I enjoy the freedom in hours, working when I can; I would say that it’s my dream voluntary job. To anyone who is thinking of volunteering I would say go for it – you might find something right up your street.’

Local resident Emily Eduarte has been volunteering for four hours a week for nearly a year in one of the shops. She said:

‘Volunteering is the best way to start again… it’s the first step you can make in terms of looking for a job.’

Budding members of 'big society' can come along to the Foundation’s Olympia shop at 266 High Street Kensington on Tuesday 7 June for the taster session between 1 pm and 3 pm to find out about the skills they can gain and meet other volunteers.

Gillian Van Der Merwe, Volunteer Coordinator for the Octavia Foundation said:

‘Volunteers provide a fantastic service to their local community by giving the time that they can to help run our shops. They can learn new skills, get to know other local people and put their own interests and strengths into use, whether that’s sorting and pricing vintage and designer donations or giving really good, friendly customer service. Our shops, and local community projects, could not run without them.’

Volunteers Week runs from 1 – 7 June and is an annual event celebrating the significant contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK.

Justin Davis-Smith, Chief Executive of Volunteering England said: ‘The contribution volunteers make to our society is hard to overstate. From the most local neighbourhood project to our essential public services, volunteers play a critical role making things work better and enriching the lives of individuals and communities.’

Find out more about the taster session or about volunteering in the Octavia Foundation charity shops by contacting Gillian Van Der Merwe on 020 8354 5500 Please follow the link to see Gillian http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c98i5e5h788