Charity shops recruit thousands of teenagers to plug staffing gaps

CHARITY shops are seeking thousands of teenage volunteers to sort through vast amounts of items donated by spring cleaners during lockdown.

A deal has been struck with a leading youth programme to help fill up to 95,000 volunteer roles as the sector recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

England’s 9,500 charity shops are expected to face a double whammy of increased donations and a diminished volunteer base as they begin a staggered reopening from June 15.

The National Citizen Service will work with the shops for its One Million Hours of Doing Good campaign, which will encourage those aged 16 to 18 to transform their “summer of disappointment” through volunteering.

The Charity Retail Association fears up to half of volunteers may be unable to return immediately, due to factors such as shielding and public transport difficulties.

At present, around 17 per cent of charity shop volunteers are aged under 25. The average charity shop relies on around 20 voluntary staff and, assuming half are unable to resume duties, it will leave up to 95,000 unfilled roles.

The charity sector has been badly affected by lockdown, with shops losing around £3.4million in sales each day.

Robin Osterley, the CRA chief executive, said it was the first recruitment drive targeted at young people. “There was a real zeitgeist happening in terms of people shopping more ethically.

“We were definitely seeing a big appetite for shopping in charity shops amongst younger people developing, and I think this is a great opportunity for young people to engage with that agenda and do some good,” he said.

An NCS survey of 1,032 16 and 17-year-olds found 44 per cent wanted to support their communities but did not know how to get involved. From June 8, they will be able to sign up to help their local charity shop.

Mark Gifford, the NCS Trust chief, said more than 600,000 young people had engaged with its Stay Connected online hub. “Volunteering will also provide an alternative route to develop essential life skills,” he added.