Experiences of volunteering.

I saw a news article last week surrounding a study showing that among people who work, those who also volunteer in their spare time are generally happier. There can be no doubt that volunteering has many positives - the benefits for the cause you support through volunteering is obvious but it extends beyond that. Many people volunteer to improve their social lives and meet new people. It's also a great way to gain new skills which can be transferable in the job market.

I've tried and failed to volunteer for three different causes over the past few years.
The first voluntary role I applied for was with one of the youth uniformed organisations. I saw the advert on a Manchester volunteering website shortly after becoming unemployed in 2013. I wanted something productive to do with my time, other than job hunting and the idea of setting up a new unit in East Manchester really appealed as I got a lot from my experiences with them when I was younger. I also love East Manchester and still feel like it's home to me despite being a city centre-dweller now! So after an informal chat over the phone, I was invited to an initial meet-up in Droylsden with the lady who was running the recruitment and the other people who had applied to volunteer.
After the initial meeting, I felt really positive. I got on well with both girls who attended and we put together a strategy to move forward with the unit. Over the next few months we met up approximately every three weeks. In the beginning, although I didn't think progress was particularly speedy, I was unsure how quickly these things develop normally so I tried to keep positive about it all despite there being no concrete plans. We went to view a venue and decided it would be perfect but after a few weeks of deliberation, the headteacher at the school we planned to run out of, said it wouldn't be possible. No contingency plans had been made and we were starting all over again. Myself and the other prospective volunteer had little communication with the charity and for most of the time so had no clue what was going on!
A year after I originally applied, no unit had been set up. We had no venue and no sign of one. The most annoying thing was, the charity were reluctant to hand any of this responsibility over to us and instead, the whole operation was being run by someone who lived in Stoke and didn't know the Manchester area at all! After discussing it for a while, myself and the other girl decided to cut our ties with it. I had a full time job again by then and having seen no progress, was extremely frustrated. We wasted so much time attending useless meetings and training courses which amounted to nothing! The worst thing is, I was unemployed for about three months in the beginning and could've dedicated that time to another cause who may have been slightly more proactive!

My second attempt was with an animal charity in the rehoming centre. I applied over the internet when I saw there were vacancies for animal care assistants. My only ever career dream as a child was to be a vet so this was right up my street! I travelled for over an hour on two buses to take my identification documents to the centre. When I got there, the manager was rude and completely disinterested. I never went back.

Most recently, I applied to do some mentoring with a mental health charity. Once again, I applied online and was asked to attend an informal interview at the centre in which I would be volunteering. Following that, I was invited on a few different courses to make sure I was suitable for the vacancy which meant I had to take four days of holiday from work (which I was completely happy to do at the time as I believed in what the charity were trying to do). After this, a DBS check had to be completed but this was returned quickly. And then nothing...until about two weeks ago. For six months I heard absolutely nothing, during which time I was offered a bit of flexibility to my hours at work meaning I would no longer be free every Monday which is when I had planned to do the volunteering. I took it. I was finally contacted by email just recently and the wording was very much to the tune of 'we have someone for you now, get in touch as soon as possible so as not to be inconvenient'.

I just want to say here that I do not expect to have a red carpet rolled out for me because I've decided to give away some of my free time. However, I do work full time and the time commitment required for all of the above opportunities was substantial. I applied because I believed in each of the causes and wanted to do something to help them.
I've got to say, it's really put me off volunteering now. Everyone I've met has been so completely disorganised and in many cases, horrendously rude. It really makes me wonder how they've recruited any volunteers at all! I've also worked in jobs where I've recruited and managed volunteers and I would never have dreamt of treating them with the disrespect I've been shown.

I'd be happy to have my faith restored if anyone wants to share their positive experiences of volunteering?

Char x

Ps. I also want to say thanks to Jenni who brought this to the forefront of my mind after telling me about her volunteering experience!

Better late than never?

Yesterday, The Guardian Online reported that the charity Oxfam is set to launch six ‘super-saver’ discount stores in an attempt to combat losses in their retail division. It has been suggested that these shops will have block prices of £1, £2 and £3 to encourage customers to snap up more bargains and follows reports that across its 700 UK stores, the charity has seen a fall in sales of 3%.

It has been suggested that the fall in sales is due to a number of contributing factors:

1.     Charity shops are in competition with discount retailers such as Primark. ‘Fast fashion’ shows no signs of slowing down as the high street continues to promote cheap garments. If you can get something new for the same price, why would you buy something that previously belonged to someone else? In addition to this, retailers such as Aldi and Lidl now sell clothes making ‘charity shops look rather pricey’.

2.     The popularity of online shopping continues to grow. Charities simply cannot offer customers this on a large scale as items are usually one-off. Many charities do look to listing more expensive and rare items on auctions sites like eBay but this is time consuming and doesn’t result in a repeated sales.

3.     Donations are down so shops simply have less to sell. In line with the 3% drop in sales, Oxfam also reported a 2% drop in goods being donated. It has been suggested that this is due to people buying less clothing meaning they have less to donate.

No doubt all this is true but does Oxfam have other problems?

I get a lot of comments on Instagram and Twitter from people who are annoyed about the high prices in some charity shops in the UK and without a doubt, the main offender is Oxfam. I’d like to think that this news means the charity have some awareness of these attitudes but with new discount stores set to represent less than 1% of Oxfam’s retail outlets, how much change can we really expect to see? Understandably this will be a trial, and while I fully support it, will Oxfam’s bosses be able to get a true picture of how successful a reduction in prices across the board would be from figures from just six shops? Even if they do, how long could a pricing restructure take while sales continue to drop?

I’ve been noticing a few subtle changes in my most frequented Oxfam shops recently, which are Oxfam in Sale, Cheshire and the Emporium on Oldham Street in Central Manchester. Both now have sale rails for stock that has been out for a couple of weeks without selling where clothing is usually half the original marked price. In addition to this, high priced items being sectioned off. There seems to be more to appeal to the real bargain hunters amongst us. As a long-time charity bargain hunter, I sensed trouble.

I’ve never hidden how I feel about inflated prices and a number of months ago I posted about my shock to see the Manchester Oxfam Originals shop charging £100 for a coat. I also faced a few conflicting opinions on the usage of ‘boutique style’ shops. In light of this news, I’m really happy to see Oxfam move away from these and focus on providing cheaper clothing. I spoke a few months ago about who is the real customer base of the charity shop and I still strongly believe that it’s the people charity shops were intended for – those who need cheaper clothing. When the economy picks up and those charity shoppers who were just looking to save a few pennies can afford the high street again, charity shops won’t get a second look.

My concern is that Oxfam can’t undo their bad rep. One bad shopping experience can make or break a charity for a bargain hunter. Many people who contact me say they don’t bother to look in Oxfam anymore as they know the prices will not only put them off buying and item but will actually make them feel angry! Can six shops really undo that bad feeling and entice customers back in?

How do you feel about the proposed ‘super-saver shops’? If you’ve fallen out of love with Oxfam, would you be enticed back in with block prices?

Char x

You can read the original story at:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/10/oxfam-looks-to-discounting-as-high-street-shops-struggle-with-competition

Back in the game.

Sorry (again) for my lack of posts lately. Things have been hectic at work and then I got ill (again) last week which resulted in me being bedridden for three days! I wasn't completely fixed yesterday on my day off but I just couldn't stay inside any longer so made a quick trip to Stretford to have a little walk around the shops there. 

Stretford is home to my new favourite charity shop, as discussed in my previous post. The Barnardo's 99p shop is a real triumph of charity retailing- friendly, good quality, full of bargains! The little lot below cost me a tiny £4.95.

Black and purple, velvet, panelled dress. I love dark colours - the majority of my wardrobe is black of grey so this beauty fits in perfectly. It's something I'd wear to meet friends at weekend. I'm quite dressy out of work and don't own a single pair of jeans so dresses like this are a staple for me.

I also picked up this shirt. It's much more a grey-lilac colour than is shown in the photo. Something I'd wear in and out of work, I thought it was really simple but flexible.

New Look grey-green tunic. There's a small rip around the neckline but nothing a few stitches won't fix! It's from the Tall range, which I am certainly not, so I'll be wearing it as a dress with tights!

Creamy-white lace dress with button-up back. Again another simple piece which I can wear in and out of work. This was a little grubby looking in the shop but I've given it a good wash and it looks fine!

Vintage style button up back flowery cut out blouse. I think this is just so cute. Again, I need to make a few repairs around the flower cut outs where the material has got a little frayed but such a small job.

I also saw a Celia Birtwell floral blouse and a MaxMara shirt which were both too small. If you're Manchester based, this shop is really worth a look. It's jam-packed with rail upon rail of bargains!

I was going to make my way home after purchasing these but couldn't resist the British Heart Foundation shop with their half price sale being advertised outside. This is something which seems to be going on across all the UK shops at the moment and is well worth a look! I once overheard someone laughing about the idea of a charity shop having a sale but why shouldn't they? From what I can see, The BHF seem to be selling off any surplus summer stock in preparation for the colder weather. All that stock would just be sitting around waiting for next summer! 

I picked up this gorgeous red dress, originally priced at £5.49 and knocked down to £2.74. It's in perfect condition (probably brand new without the tags). Absolute bargain!

The same knock down could be found on this grey dress.

I also picked up this Topshop cropped black and white pattern top for £2.39, reduced from £4.79.

This white skirt is from Zara. Sadly I may have to sell this one on or donate it back as it's a large!

Finally for £1.64, I got this incredible blue suede skirt. It's pretty old with the tags saying Clock House which was C&As old label before the company disappeared off the high street!

And then I went home and took some painkillers and had a nap and tried to get better!

Have you picked up any great bargains in my absence from Internet?!

Char x

Quite an honour.

I'm going to make a bold claim and say I have a new favourite charity shop! Considering I've probably been to 95% of the charity shops in the Greater Manchester area, this is quite an impressive development! 

I stumbled on Barnardo's in Stretford completely by accident this afternoon on the way back from Urmston. I'd googled charity shops in Stretford 'mall' before and the results had been somewhat inconclusive so I'd never stopped there. Big mistake! This Barnardo's is a 99p shop. I've discussed Barnardo's one-price discount shops before and am a real lover of the shops in Cheadle, Droylsden and Fallowfield but this one was another level of incredible! 

The shop was beautifully presented in colour blocks with inviting displays all around. Sometimes with discount shops, you see a dip in quality but not at all with this Barnardo's! I picked up these six incredible items for just £5.94! 

F&F patterned top.

Stripy Peacocks dress.

Beautiful delicate peach lace top - no original labels.

H&M grey jumper.

Divided @ H&M contrast sleeve jumper.

Zara blue midi skirt.

I honestly cannot believe how great the quality of these items is! An impeccable Zara skirt for 99p?!

Prior to this new discovery, I'd visited another of my favourite shops - The Charity Box in Urmston. 

I picked up these two beautiful skirts for £4.95 each. They're both from Cos so I was willing to spend a little more.

Purple wool skirt from Cos.

Striped skirt from Cos.

What do you think of my finds? Have you ever bought something from a Barnardo's discount store?

Char x

Dress up!

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen I had a lucky lunch break on Wednesday!

With twenty minutes of my hour left, I decided to have a quick walk into Sale town centre. I only had time to look properly around one shop so went to the Salvation Army which has become my go-to donation shop since Age UK shut down. I picked it because it's the shop closest to my office but wasn't expecting to find anything as my success rate in there is about 10%! Most of the clothing is in larger sizes and the majority of the shop space is taken up with furniture which I definitely can't carry home on the bus.

The first thing I saw was this beautiful white dress from Asos. I absolutely loved the shape of it on first sight but was devastated to discover it was a size 6. I've been monitoring my calorie intake to lose weight recently, which has been successful but not THAT successful! I haven't bought anything in a size 6 since I was about 17. I kept looking at the style and size of it and pulling at the fabric before deciding to take a gamble, as it was only £2.99. Imagine my shock when I tried it on at home and I could zip it up! It's definitely a loose fitting 6!

The next item was this black dress. It was the standard charity shop price for a dress - £4.99 and doesn't have the original tags so I'm not sure where it's from. I actually think £4.99 is expensive for this considering the Asos one was £2 cheaper. I'm planning to cut the bow off (I'm not into bows!) and wear it under a printed cardigan in the office.

As I was paying for those two, I noticed this printed dress hanging up behind the till. I assumed it was on hold for someone but the volunteer confirmed it was just waiting to go out. Primark, £2.99 - bit overpriced but I love it.

Then finally on my way home today, I popped into the Oxfam Emporium on Oldham Street. I'm not going to lie, I used to hate the shop! I still think things in there are horrendously overpriced (especially books - £3.99 for some old coffee stains, folded pages and cracked spines?!) but the clothing is getting better. I nearly bought a scalloped hem skirt from Asos which they'd priced at £4.99 but thought a fiver was too pricey (I don't want to feed their ideas that their pricing is reasonable). 

I was just about to walk out (shocked at the selection of £40 handbags) when I noticed a Sale section at the back of the shop. Not one to miss out on a bargain, I ventured over. Most of the stock was items I'd seen a few weeks ago but then I saw this...

beautiful New Look number, new and tagged at £19.99 on sale for £4.99. That's a quarter of the price and in perfect condition - that I can deal with!

I REALLY need to blog about the amazing haul I had at the car boot on Sunday but I've had such an exhausting and busy week which isn't over yet. Promise I'll get around to it soon!

Char x

Clueless.

Usually when I pick up something second hand, be it from a charity shop, a car boot sale or eBay, I know exactly how it will fit into my life. With clothing or accessories, I've developed the art of only buying things which are 'me', things I know I'll wear.

But with these two - I just have no idea!

First up is this sequin jacket-thing I got from PDSA in Preston when I was about seventeen, long before I worked there! I've tried everything; dressing it down with jeans, up with a dress for a night out. Part of the problem is that it's so unbelievably small! Even when it first came into my life when I was about seven stone and a size six, it was a little on the small side - I think it may even have been made for a child. I think it's handmade and there's no denying that it's incredibly beautiful, I've just never been able to integrate it into my wardrobe!

Secondly is this wooden chest which I disgustingly picked up from the bin store downstairs. Yes, really. I find it incredible the types of things people will throw away! Over the past few months there have been TVs, bookcases, lamps - you name it, someone in my building has tried to throw it out! I fell in love with this instantly. Yes, it isn't perfect but I just find it so beautiful! I've given it a damn good clean but now I'm a little stumped. My original plan was to use it to store some of my vast quantity of clothes in but I'm really adverse to folding things and stacking them because I can never find what I'm looking for! I would also like to display some bits of jewellery and stuff on top of it but then I'm going to have to keep opening it to get things out and that will get really annoying.

Maybe I could store all my out of season clothes in it?

There's also no getting away from the fact it definitely does not match the fake wood of my floor...

I know everyone is getting into upcycling at the moment but I really do not have a creative bone in my body and I think it would just go badly wrong.

I got the idea for this particular post after responding to an Instagram request from Barnardo's Retail for bloggers for their new blog 'The Thrift'. The first assignment was something along the lines of 'What item I own would be the first thing I'd donate'. I'd say it would be the jacket but it's just so pretty! I'm living in hope that one day I might find something to wear it with and give it the wearing time it so deserves! Until then, it will continue to sparkle in my closet, or maybe in my new wooden chest!

Talking of Barnardo's, did you catch my piece for them? You can find it here.

Char x

Best deal in town.

This time last year, when I was really getting back into charity shopping, I did a search of shops in Manchester city centre. Google brought up Mustard Tree which I hadn't heard of before. I was amazed on my first visit at all the excellent bargains to be had and my love for the shop hasn't diminished since!

Ever so often they run an incredible sale where you fill a bag for £2.50 with as many shoes, clothes and accessories as you can. I saw they were running the sale again on Twitter (find them at @mustardtreeshop) so took my opportunity to have a browse this morning. On my way up to the shop, which is conveniently about 2 minutes walk away from my flat, I saw a man carrying three of their trademark fill-a-bag white carriers crammed full and I knew it was going to be a great day! 

As you can see, the bag is about the size of a standard supermarket carrier but that's deceptive as you can really squeeze quite a lot in when you try! Here's what I picked up:

Limited Collection grey jumper.

Grey cropped jumper - only from Primark but it's cute!

Vintage white wooly vest jumper.

Topshop swan print skirt.

Handmade checked skirt.

White M&S trousers (not sure I'll wear these but needed something to fill up the bag!)

Doing the maths, each of these items cost 42p which is just incredible, even by my charity shop standards! The shop had put all their stock into the sale and there were more excellent pieces which I'd've snapped up had they been my size. 

The Mustard Tree shop is a great charity retail space with plenty of inexpensive furniture, music and books in addition to all the clothing they stock. You can find them at 110 Oldham Road and they also have a shop in Eccles - details on the website here.

Have you been to Mustard Tree?

Char x