Oxfam issues urgent appeal for volunteers
Oxfam has issued an urgent appeal for volunteers to help its high street shops deal with an anticipated “deluge” of donations as it prepares to reopen its 41 Scottish stores on Monday.
The charity pointed out that sales from the first day of trading following the reopening of its English and Welsh shops were up 77 per cent on 2019 figures, and it was the most successful Monday ever, sales-wise, for the organisation outside of the festive season.
With its Scottish shops set to reopen this Monday, Oxfam says it has a shortfall of hundreds of volunteers north of the Border, with some of its existing team currently unable to return due to shielding.
The organisation’s interim head of retail Tom Richardson said: “The money raised by the dedicated staff and volunteers in Oxfam’s Scottish shops helps fight poverty and injustice around the world, providing people with the hope of a better future.
“As we prepare to get back to business in a Covid-safe way, we’re encouraging people who want to live in a fairer, more sustainable world to consider giving one of the greatest gifts of all: their time.”
Volunteers are asked to give as little as a few hours a week and can take up a range of roles from serving customers to sorting donations and arranging window displays. Each shop typically relies on a team of 30 volunteers and one or two staff, with more than 1,400 volunteers required across Scotland – that number thought to be down by 40 per cent.