Clothes, careers and community: the impact of charity shops

“Any day is a good day to come to an Age UK charity shop.”

Having worked at the Age UK shop in Tamworth for 22 years, Assistant Manager Rachel understands her store better than anyone – from the tens of on-trend tops that fill the hangers to the collections of quirky knick-knacks that line the shelves.

“We’re constantly replenishing our stock,” she tells us. “It doesn’t matter whether you come in at 9 o’clock on a Monday morning or 4 o’clock on a Saturday afternoon – there will always be something new to see.”

And with such a treasure trove at her fingertips, what would Rachel choose as her best charity shop finds? “Everything!” Rachel laughs. “You can’t fail to find a bargain.”

Generous gifts

The act of giving away items of clothing, accessories, homeware and more is what keeps charity shops like Age UK's Tamworth store going. But Rachel is also thankful for the many people who donate their time.

Volunteers make a huge difference to our vital work. They help the Age UK Telephone Friendship Service and The Silver Line to be there for older people when loneliness strikes. They campaign for change, pushing for older people’s needs and rights to be considered at the heart of Government. And every week, 3,889 volunteers across the UK devote their days to helping out in more than 260 Age UK charity shops – sorting clothes, serving customers, and supporting the shops to stay open for business.

Rachel has seen the impact volunteering can have on career prospects. “I’ve been Assistant Manager for the last 8 years,” she says. “But when I started working here in 2002, I joined as a volunteer.

“Since then, I’ve worked with so many people and have made some wonderful friends that I’ll have for the rest of my life. Everybody’s so friendly. We’re like a big family.”

New seasons

Rachel’s introduction to the charity shop was spurred on by changes in her own life – and during her two decades working there, she’s witnessed plenty of changes in her customers’ lives too.

“In 2002, I’d been at home with young children for a few years,” Rachel explains. “But when they went to school, I felt like I needed to do something with my time. Somebody suggested volunteering as a means of gaining a bit of confidence to go back into the workplace – but I loved volunteering here so much that I stayed!

“I’m the longest serving staff member here, and I’ve seen so many people come and go in that time. There are customers who have been coming into the charity shop ever since I first started. They’ve become friends. Some of them would bring their babies in when they visited, and then the next thing you know, those babies have grown, left home and had babies of their own.”

Talking about the passing years, Rachel’s thoughts can’t help but turn to the older people supported by Age UK services, which charity shop sales help to fund.

“We’re all going to get old, and people are living so much longer now than they ever did. But that can bring a lot of additional problems,” she says. “There can be a lot of loneliness, I think. Having older neighbours, I’ve realised that’s one of the biggest issues for older people.

“So, Age UK’s telephone friendship service is a wonderful thing. For a lot of people, their telephone friend can be the only person they speak to week by week.”

Aware of the difference her work is making, Rachel has no plans to leave Age UK's Tamworth store any time soon. In fact, Rachel’s eager for her presence at the shop to continue for many more decades – perhaps even beyond her lifetime. “I’ve been here so long that I want to have my ashes scattered here!” she laughs. “People think I’m joking… but I’m really not.”