Volunteer With Us - Winster Shop

Our Volunteers Are So Important!

We could not operate without the significant support of our volunteers who play a vital part, alongside our staff, in the long-term sustainability of our business.

The time our volunteers dedicate to the Shop, their commitment, passion, enthusiasm, and skill, underpins the role our Shop plays at the heart of the community.

In November 2023 we were honoured to receive the Kings Award for Voluntary Service which celebrates the outstanding role our volunteers play within the Shop.

We Would Love You to Join Us

We are looking for volunteers right now and we have different opportunities which may suit you.

Our volunteers come from a wide cross section of the community and many backgrounds. Some are retired and have lots of time, some work, and others have young children. We are grateful they all selflessly bring their valuable time and commitment to their roles.

Volunteering is proven to be good for your health and wellbeing. It’s a great way to meet people, to ease you into retirement, support you as you get back into work or look for your first job or, perhaps, you just want to get out of the house!

For the social side

Whether chatting to customers in the shop or volunteering alongside others in the village, you will have a chance to meet people from across the community. We want our volunteers to have fun!

For the community

Our Shop is the heart of our community and without volunteers we simply wouldn’t be able to stay in business. We would love you to share your existing skills and experience with us, to make an invaluable contribution to the Shop and raise our profile in the local community.

For your own personal development

If you are looking for your first job, are an experienced worker or returning to work, a volunteering role on your CV will demonstrate strong core values, useful interpersonal skills and work experience. We will support you to develop new skills, knowledge, and experience!

Volunteer Portal

Interested? Want to Find Out More? Please Get in Touch

You can register your interest in volunteering by:

Popping into the shop and chatting to any of our staff or volunteers
Calling us on 01629 650683
Emailing volunteer@winstervillageshop.com

Frequently Asked Questions

We are always looking for support across the Shop itself and WVSA:

Till volunteers
Shop replenishment volunteers (stacking shelves and helping with deliveries)
Window display volunteers
WVSA Director roles
Other more occasional roles – deliveries, helping pack orders…and more!

The short answer is anyone over 18. The Shop is for the whole community and the wider the range of volunteers, the better. If you have a disability, we will do our best to adapt a role to accommodate your needs. There are no special skills or experience required as training is provided as required.

Most of our volunteer roles do not need any specific experience.

If you are a people person and interested in retail and customer service – you could join us on the till …

If you prefer to be more ‘back of house’ and don’t mind a bit of lifting and stacking and of course keeping things tidy – shop replenishment (helping keep the shelves stocked) may be more for you.

If you are creative and love making things – how about being a window display volunteer? Our shop window changes regularly, is 100% created by volunteers and is one of the highlights of the village!

Depending on the role, we often ask for a few hours on a fairly regular basis. That could be weekly, or fortnightly. Of course, you want to go on holiday (who doesn’t!) but we operate as a team and just ask you give us advance notice!

We have volunteers who fulfil regular slots and some who volunteer on an ad hoc basis. We don’t want you to feel tied down and will work with you to make it work for both of us.

Yes – please get in touch and we can discuss how best you can support us.

No, absolutely not. We will provide as much training as you require – you will work alongside existing volunteers until you are happy to ‘go solo.’ Support is always available when you are on the till.

Absolutely – we know not everybody is comfortable on the till and have a number of roles which may suit you better – please get in touch so we can chat about what might best suit you.

Yes – our shop window is a highlight in the village and 100% created by volunteers. It changes regularly; to reflect seasonal, local, and national events and we are always looking for people to join the team who make our window such an eye-catching display.

Brilliant – if you have a specific skill, maybe IT or social media, marketing, bookkeeping or something else please get in touch – we are always grateful for any support which can make us more efficient, effective, and sustainable!

Absolutely – get in touch and we will set up a slot for you to shadow an existing volunteer. You can see what happens first hand, ask questions and see whether it might suit you!

Yes – we do support these programmes. In the first instance, please contact the Shop Managers by telephone.