Indyshop Volunteer

½ a day per week (with possibility to go up)

The role:

The Indyshop provides valuable start-up kits for young people who are moving into a home for the first time. This is an important and exciting time for a young person, however, often they do not have the essential items that they need to live there and cannot afford to buy the items themselves. The Indyshop stocks essential items specific for the young person, such as cups, plates, cutlery, towels, and bedding, so that a young person can feel at home in their accommodation and better adjust to independent living.

We have just launched a new user friendly Indyshop. This is a ‘free shop’ at the front of the Kingsley hall building where 1625 young people will still be able to come and pick up things at no cost, but it is more welcoming and can be accessed from the main entrance. The Indyshop volunteer will help create a system, such as vouchers or codes, which will allow young people to come in without their keyworkers and be supported to gather what they need. They will then oversee running the shop for a few hours a week.

The coordinator will need to be responsive to the needs of the young people and create a welcoming atmosphere.

This role will have a lot of opportunities for you to develop your administration, retail, communication and organisation skills.

You will be based at our Kingsley Hall office in Bristol. There may be occasional travelling with a 1625 staff member to meet donors, or to one of our properties to see the impact of the project.

You will be working alongside the Housing and Operations teams to ensure that we have stock of the required items and ensure they can provide the items to young people.

You will be supported by members of staff from other teams as required.

Key skills:      

• Passionate about helping vulnerable young people
• Organised - to manage the stock control
• A good communicator - to communicate with Housing and Operations staff, as well as supporters who donate the stock
• Comfortable working very independently
• Be physically able to go up and down stairs and lift boxes
• Able to use Microsoft Office, in particularly, Excel (for stock control)
• Capacity to offer one day a day per week, which can be spread over the week. We are flexible as to which day(s) you work between Monday and Friday.
• Ability to create a fair system for the value of items
• Confident to be the ‘face’ of the Indyshop
• Confidence to help young people gather what they need

We offer:

• Travel expenses (inc. mileage where needed), lunch (if volunteering for a full day), free tea/coffees at offices etc..
• Access to training
• Full induction, regular support and supervision
• Materials and equipment
• References for future employment (after six months of volunteering)

Ideally the volunteer will run the shop 2-4pm on EITHER Wednesday, Thursdays or Fridays.

Please use the Volunteer Application Pack to apply- see below and return to volunteering@1625ip.co.uk

Successful candidates will require two satisfactory references and a basic DBS.

1625 Independent People is committed to promoting equal opportunity and diversity.

Any enquiries or if you need a paper version sent to you, please email volunteering@1625ip.co.uk

or call 0117 317 8800