A bargain hunt boost for charity
Staff from an insurance company tried their hand at bagging a bargain while volunteering for charity.
Covea Insurance is one of many businesses signed up to Heart of Kent Hospice’s 100 Club, and decided to support the Aylesford charity by volunteering in one of its shops.
Three teams of four spent a day manning the shop, all the while keeping their eye out for hidden gems they could sell on. The teams competed in a Bargain Hunt-style challenge at the Hall Road shop, with two elements to the competition – most sales made on the day, and the most money raised by items sold on the hospice’s eBay site.
Alongside trying to beat their colleagues, staff also learnt more about the challenges charities like Heart of Kent face finding volunteers.
Meg Thomas, who leads charity activity on behalf of Covea Insurance’s West Malling office, said: “We thought it would be really laid back in terms of how much money was raised, but we were really surprised by the retail targets. Each year the shops have to raise £1.5 million, for Hall Road that’s £5,400 per week, or £900 per day.
“If you’re thinking about volunteering, just do it! It was a fantastic day out that allowed us to give something back to the community.”
Heart of Kent has 15 shops, run by 12 managers. It relies heavily on volunteers to staff the stores, which are open six days a week for seven hours a day.
Mark Mickelburgh, head of retail, said: “Volunteers are our life blood. We are grateful for everyone’s contribution as it makes such a difference to being able to care for patients and their families.”
The teams each chose items to be sold on the Hospice’s eBay site, with the winning team being the one that raises the most money.
To view items on sale on the eBay site, go to tinyurl.com/ HOKHeBay