Volunteers Needed at Charity Retail Hub

Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care is calling on people in Berkhamsted and the surrounding areas to volunteer at its retail head office on Northbridge Road in the town.

The buzzing retail hub is the heart of the retail and trading operation that brings in around one third of the charity’s income each year.

Staff at the retail warehouse are outnumbered 5:1 by volunteers who are crucial to the operation, helping with everything from driving the vans that deliver stock to each High Street shop, to listing, packing and dispatching items sold online via sites such as eBay.

The charity warns that without new volunteers, its retail operation is at risk of grinding to a halt, which would be catastrophic for its income that is used to provide vital hospice care services in the area.

Nicola Flood, head of buying and operations at Rennie Grove Peace, explains: ‘The whole operation at Bainbridge House is very tightly balanced. We run it just like a commercial retail hub and we are supporting 33 High Street shops in the area, as well as our very busy online business. If one part of the chain breaks, because we don’t have enough volunteers in a role, there will be a huge knock-on effect for the business, which is a vital source of income for the charity.’

Sarah volunteers as an ecommerce volunteer. She is encouraging other local people to join the team and said: ‘I love volunteering at Bainbridge House as it gives me a sense of usefulness again and I feel as if in a small way I’m helping to raise money for a wonderful charity. As a bonus all the staff and volunteers that I have met are really good fun and very friendly. I’m also learning a lot about the items I list on our eBay site.’

Nicola Flood continues: ‘We need volunteers in a whole range of roles. Whether you want to do a physical job such as driving a van and moving stock, would prefer a desk-based online product listings role or have a particular area of expertise to help us sort and value niche product donations, there is something for everyone. If you have time to give and you’d like to join a fun, friendly and fast-moving team, get in touch today and we will work with you to find the role that’s just right for you.’

To get in touch with the team visit renniegrovepeace.org/volunteer/volunteer-enquiry-form, call 01727 731020 or email volunteers@renniegrovepeace.org.