New St Christpher's Shop

[Nero]

The Mind shop is always open (during office hours, I mean, and unlike the hospice place which seems to close at odd times), has good staff who are personable and helpful and some of whom have had or are living with some form of mental illness. It also has a facility whereby you can get your tax back on donations. Also, if the clothing stuff you take is not up to scratch then it will be dumped into the big bin outside. I wish the new shop well but hope that the managers will provide a bit more in the way of staff training and take on board some of the - mostly reasonable - criticisms on here.

If you have electrical items, search out a local charity such as Gingerbread which will send someone to take them off your hand.

[Dorothy]

If you could see the sort of rubbish some people will "give away" in the name of charity it would really shock you. Why should charity shop volunteers have to be thankful for having to sift through detritus that people cannot fit into their wheelie bin or put in the recycling bins at the park?

[Stalkey]

Took a load of lovely jumble to Geranium on Norwood High St this week as i too have had v frosty reception from the above. Geranium were soooo grateful and polite. Mr Stalkey pointed out that the Nike trainers were in the boot for a reason...and not for jumble.....oops!

[leon parker]

Yes all commercial business has to pay and charities are no different. The issue is the Hospice would not pay for council refuse and the volunteers have to put up with aggressive and abusive response to being told no to their donations. Many times very nice donations had to be turned down due to lack of space. This is what happens when you do things in half measures. Saving costs here on the rubbish removal is not a benefit as it can lead to people not wanting to donate which is what this charity relies on for revenue.

mikese22 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Don't forget though that charity shops like any

> other commercial operation have to pay for their

> waste to be removed - so just saying thank you and

> accepting any old tat actually results in a cost

> to organisation

>

>

> leon parker Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > The problem is not weather the staff are happy

> to

> > accept or not it is when they can not do due to

> > size of shop this what can cause confrontations.

>

> > Accepting crap donations is part of the job

> many

> > other charity shops accept them and get on with

> > the job. The TV show with Mary 'The Queen Of

> > Charity Shops' showed a large wheelie council

> bin

> > for the those type of donations which one shop

> > used (Mind has one). It is the over management

> of

> > the shop that has caused this problem by not

> > providing system that enables the shop to

> accept

> > all within reason (not the week?s garbage). It

> > has as far I have seen been this situation for

> > many years which has not been fair on the

> > volunteers. What rubbish disposal system which

> is

> > in place could not always keep up with the

> volume.

> >

> >

> >

> > If you have a thought to give to charity then

> > lugged heavy bags down the road and arrive at

> the

> > shop

> > then you are told no! It would make most

> people

> > unhappy and frustrated as they had a thought of

> > doing good. No matter what your view of the

> kind

> > of donations it would work better if you just

> say

> > thank you and accept. The customer leaves

> feeling

> > happy and you have done your part as shop staff

> by

> > being able to accept. With the new shop on

> its

> > way this might help but this is by chance

> rather

> > than the Hospice dealing with donation issue.

> >

> > Many occasions the shop had to close lose

> > revenue because there was no room store stuff

> let

> > alone accept. Those of you have been thwarted

> > when trying to donate please remember it is not

> > safe for staff and volunteers to work if there

> are

> > too many donations.

> >

> > The simple answer was if the shop was able to

> > accept all, then we would not be here writing

> on

> > this forum.

> >

> > The toy issue is a problem even the Mind shop

> with

> > bigger space has stopped taking them. A

> recycling

> > point in East Dulwich would be a good idea but

> it

> > will need someone from the Big Society to step

> in?

[louloulabelle]

My MIL works at a charity shop (not local) and the staff snaffle all the good stuff before it hits the shelves.. yes they pay for it but they get first dibs!!

[regalia]

Perks of a soul destroying job!

I would expect to get first dibs if I were giving my labour for free, and so might you louloulabelle if you chose to work there for free.

[brightspark]

There is a sign outside the soon to be new St. Christopher's donations wanted. Take your donations here rather than be refused at the old shop or be humiliated at the counter by having your donation pulled out and told that is OK that is not etc..

[Jeremy]

regalia Wrote:

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> Perks of a soul destroying job!

You obviously do not know the first thing about charity work.

[rspcalondonsoutheast]

If you donate items to our shop in west norwood please remember to sign a gift aid form.

RSPCA London South East Branch

http://www.rspca-london-se.org.uk/shop.html

[thebestnameshavegone]

regalia Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Perks of a soul destroying job!

>

> I would expect to get first dibs if I were giving

> my labour for free, and so might you louloulabelle

> if you chose to work there for free.

Maybe you should join in the legions of well-heeled East Dulwich types who simply rifle through all the stock outside, before it even gets in the shop. Can't get more 'first dibs' than that, and it stops those money-grabbers from marking it up to silly prices too!

[brightspark]

I have heard that recently a volunteer at the Hospice physically ushered a child out of the shop which was upsetting to the grandmother and child.

I also meet another customer who goes to the Hospice same as me. He told of his recent experience in the shop. They had a book sale with notice saying three books for a ?1 so he selected three. When he presented them to counter the manager told him that these three books are as priced and not in the sale.

This left him feeling perplexed and humiliated. I undersyand from others I have bumped into, who I know are regulars in the shop they have witnessed other such incidents of change in prices at the counter or selcted favourite customers who they pull stuff out from the back of the shop. Also some price tags are showing two different prices one crossed out new one put on the same tag. I even met a former volunteer who was met with same price change at the counter when they went to purchase records.

[ruffers]

Are they taking electrical products? I'd happily give them some of these rather than taking them to British Heart Foundation on Old Kent Road, a lot of shops won't take them though.

[Cora]

Anyone know when the new one is opening?

[siousxiesue]

28th

[Sue]

Bit concerned that money taken at the existing shop doesn't seem to go into the till, and they asked for the exact money from both me and my OH today.

Is the till broken? It appeared to be turned on. At the Mind shop, you get a receipt for items bought.