Valerie, Shop Manager, and Debbie, Assistant manager, have worked together at our Uckfield charity shop – the one at the bottom of the hill – for two years. The shop is a popular thrifting destination with a loyal customer base and inside, the sense of community is palpable. Much like our other charity shops, you won’t leave without a smile or a friendly chat with one of the dedicated team.
‘I absolutely love it here,’ Valerie says. ‘I never get bored – no two days are the same and you never know what might be donated! We also have amazing volunteers; the shop is supported by a dedicated group of 20 who help out with everything from serving customers to polishing lamps, and they are each a pleasure to be around – we get the job done but have lots of fun along the way! I actually started out as a volunteer in the charity shop myself; I never really knew what I wanted to do in life and then suddenly it all came together – i was hooked! I’m so proud and happy to be the manager here and it’s a privilege to support the hospice in my daily work.
‘It really is a labour of love,’ Debbie adds. ‘We’re both very passionate about what we do and I think it’s reflected in how the shop is presented and the relationships we build with customers. We have our regulars who collect items or are hunting for particular things, and we’ll look out for those – I love seeing their smile when we’ve found them something perfect! It’s lovely to chat to customers too; lots of them open up about their lives or a connection they may have to the hospice. I feel very lucky.’
You’ll find two of our seven charity shops on Uckfield High Street. Head to the bottom of the hill for a mix of contemporary, quirky and vintage bric-a-brac, hundreds of books and a large section dedicated to baby clothes, toys and games, and pop to our shop at the top of the hill for high-end, on trend and vintage fashion.
