Meet the Volunteers - Lisa

It's Wednesday so that means Lisa is in to swish up and replenish the bric-a-brac.

Along with being super and opening up when I have morning meetings etc, Lisa is our bric-a-brac display woman who makes sure the old stuff sells and the new stuff looks amazing.

The lovely Lisa and her bargain bric-a-brac

Lisa has been at Brook Green pretty much since we opened in 2011 and knows everything there is to know about stuff in the shop. Find her rearranging things or on the till Wednesday morning and she will help you find what you are after.

Mother to 2 lovely boys, Lisa works around school times to have some time for herself....and to find the best bargains as she does love to shop.

Supplied with coffee and given many jobs to do I can concentrate on clearing space and sorting stock and I know the shop will be perfect in Lisa's capable hands.

All the volunteers are great at signing up Gift Aid donors, but Lisa gives herself the challenge to grab more then most - and I can happily say I don't bribe her to do it...unless the extra coffee counts!

When Lisa leaves Wednesday afternoon her shift is taken over by Andreea

Lisa in her own words "When I first started I had not worked for a long time. Since volunteering at Brook Green, I have learnt loads (ie: How to work a till) and I have become more confident. I enjoy working at the shop because the other staff are lovely and I get on with everyone. I also like to have a few hours just getting away from home and being in a different environment. I cannot see myself ever leaving because of how fun it is to work at Brook Green."
(And I definitely didn't bribe her to say that! Honest!)

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If you wish to volunteer at Brook Green or any of Trinity Hospice shops (Locations here) get in touch by emailing Anna Alcock retailvolunteers@trinityhospice.org.uk or phoning her on 020 7787 1000

Bye for now
BG

Meet the Volunteers - Joshua

Another day, another blog, and another lovely Brook Green volunteer to tell about.

Joshua was the first male volunteer in Brook Green and so in his interview we made him assemble things and reach stuff.... I do jest, but in fairness, Joshua can reach things I can't!

Joshua came to us to fill his time for half a day, and a year and a bit later we now have him here 2 days a week. Monday afternoons and Tuesday afternoons.
His drink of choice is a strong coffee, 2 sugars, which he will drink while boiling! Still can't get over that. Iron gullet!

His favourite job is sweeping the floor. Oh how he hates me when I hand him the broom, but to his credit he does it and then demands a coffee. Deal done.

He is very camera shy, so you will just have to pop in to see what he looks like. You will find him at the till, taking all the money as he is one of my top sellers. But he also does sorting and tagging, and any job which I send his way. Plus he loves a bit of rock music so I know when Joshua is in charge of the CD player as this is waffting out of it....

(plus Queen are my favourite band, so bonus points all round!)

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If you wish to volunteer at Brook Green or any of Trinity Hospice shops (Locations here) get in touch by emailing Anna Alcock retailvolunteers@trinityhospice.org.uk or phoning her on 020 7787 1000

Bye for now

BG

Meet the Volunteers - Kat

I said I would introduce you to our lovely team of volunteers and so here we are on this lovely Monday morning, blogging, while the volunteer in question is serving customers! (It's all about delegation!)

Trinity Hospice shops all have a manager, some have an assistant manager, but we wouldn't be able to run without the kind help and support from people donating their time during the week to work in the shops.

If you wondered who dresses our windows along with the manager, it is this talented volunteer.
From Peru, Kat started volunteering to help improve her English and learn some retail skills. She did so well and we spotted her eye for making outfits 'pop' so we let her loose on our dummies and our window dresser was born.

Monday, 11.30ish, naked windows. Hour later and voilà - beautiful outfits and shoes ready for selling! Sometimes she does so well the garments don't even make the dummy before someone wants to buy them.

Clashing colours, same colour different textures, prints etc, all used to full advantage by Kat and our customers love it. We even have one lady who makes a point of going for her run at 1pm every Monday so she can run past and see Kat's new creation.

Kat say, "I have such fun trying out styling the windows, and it has really helped my English skills being here and dealing with customers."

This week Kat has gone for the Green with a dash of Red/Pink

 Burberry top for £45

I say its another winning window. Hurrah!

***

If you wish to volunteer at Brook Green or any of Trinity Hospice shops (Locations here) get in touch by emailing Anna Alcock retailvolunteers@trinityhospice.org.uk or phoning her on 020 7787 1000

Bye for now
BG

Next week treats....

We have decided it is high time you 'meet' the volunteers.

Without these lovely people giving up their time during the week and weekends, Brook Green would not be as tidy or as busy or as fun a place to be.
They are the key players in running the shop and each of them have skills to bring to make Brook Green a better place. Awww.

Starting on Monday, they will be posted up on the day they work.

Now play nicely, and I'll see you all bright and early Monday.

Bye for now
BG

Tour De Force Headwear

More Quirky items have been donated. Woohoo!

These 3 lovely head dresses are by Tour De Force.

My favourite one is this one below

Stand out for £40

And here it is in an editorial (but in blue) from a picture I borrowed from the Tour de Force website

So very high Fashion. Editorial Daaaarlings.

Priced £27 - £40

In the words of our Saturday volunteer Yolaine, "Faaaaaaaaaaabulous"

Bye for now
BG

The Wonderful World of Prince Charles....

....or The Vatican Sex Manual (Or The Rutland Dirty Weekend Book) has been donated and oh it gave us all a laugh.

Eric Idle, best known from Monty Python, produced this book in 1976 and it is very funny.
(Plus it has picture on Eric NAKED(!!) in it. But it is not graphic and no, you don't get the see the pictures. I took photos of other pages....We are not a sex shop you know! haha)

Parodies a plenty and lots of funny pictures and cartoons, it was a spin off of the Rutland Weekend Television series. There are screen grabs and jokes as well as tv listings, which I would guess are not entirely factual!

No pages missing or torn and it is in rather good condition, but the spine is not perfect.
This funny, interesting book could be yours for £12.

Bye for now
BG

Wedding to go to? Who needs Westfield....

....when you can come to Brook Green for an outfit?!
Saving money and knowing your spend will go to help a good cause.

(sorry for lack of posts. Have been in Granada, Spain, for a family wedding....inspiration!)

A lot of our donations are new items with tags still on. I say a lot. I would guess at 11% which I made up in my head to sound like I know what I am going on about!
So not that much, but when it comes in, it goes pretty much that same day (week at the latest....)

We have all done it. Bought something and lost the receipt so couldn't return it.
Or bought something that a 'friend' said looked awesome, when it looked very un-awesome indeed.
Or got carried away at a sale and bought a lovely pink and yellow boxy jacket with blue buttons. It was only £33, reduced from £200....hmmm. You now know it should have stayed on the rail and not been introduced to your wardrobe. (yes I did do this. NEVER again!)

At the moment we have these two lovely dresses which would be excellent for a wedding this summer.

Exhibit A



This lovely purple dress is by Swedish designer Valerie Aflalo is a size 10 (euro 38) 
rrp is SEK 1999 - about £196 and it could be yours for 3 twenty pound notes. Or a fifty and a ten. Or six tens. Or... Card it. £60
Glass beaded necklace £10

Exhibit B

Now this is by Coast.



Size 14 (euro 42) (although personally, I'd say a 12 (euro 40)) with a beautiful floral print.
And we all know how florals are the 'in' thing. Of course they are. It is summer.
rrp £175. Brook Green price £60
The pink wooden beads are £4


Both of these dresses have many shoe and bag options and combinations, but if you are unsure when you pop in, ask our volunteers as they know how to make an outfit work. Talented lil lot.

Bye for now
BG