Kristina’s Story
Can you tell us when and why you joined St Wilfrid’s?
“My husband’s Nan was under St Wilfrid’s care. They took such good care of her in her last days; they made her feel special and she was allowed to go home, which is what she wanted. And I’ve always had an affinity with the charity.
Even before I became manager at our Selsey shop, I was a customer – which helped at my interview. I started in March this year, so I’ve only been here a few months, but I’d like to think I’ve put my stamp on the shop already and I’m really enjoying it.
What do you enjoy most about your role and working for St Wilfrid’s?
I really enjoy working with our volunteers. We have quite a few of them, 38 in total, which is great. They all bring their own individual styles and skills to the shop, and I work with them to identify their strengths, of which there are many, and support them as needed.
Can you tell us about the Selsey shop and what people can expect to find?
We actually have three shops in one here at Selsey! We have the ‘Little Shop’, which is homeware and jewellery, ‘The Yard’, which is an outside area where we have furniture and various other things – as well as some reduced items. And then we have the large shop at the back of the yard, which we call ‘The Barn’. In here you’ll find everything else including men’s fashion, women’s fashion, shoes, accessories, books, puzzles, DVDs and CDs, all kinds of things really. It is a treasure trove waiting to be explored!
We have a lot of avid readers in Selsey who come in for our books, so we always make sure we have a good selection of books available for them. A lot of shoppers bring back books so we can sell them again, which is great. All books are £1 and children’s books are only 30p! It’s lovely when a young child comes in with their pocket money ready to buy a book.
Do you think more people are shopping pre-loved?
Yes. I think, with the cost of living and people having less disposable income, shopping pre-loved is increasingly appealing. If you visit one of our charity shops, you can find something affordable and good quality. This is something we really pride ourselves on.
I have a two-year-old and she’s constantly going through clothes. So, it’s helpful to have shops like ours where you can find something that’s not going to cost too much – because she, like other young children, is literally in it five minutes! And sustainability is so important too – and I think this is another reason why shopping pre-loved has grown in popularity.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about shopping at St Wilfrid’s?
Just the difference that shopping with us makes to local people. Plus, if you’re a taxpayer and donate items to us through our Gift Aid scheme, we can claim an extra 25p for every £1 raised from the sale of those items, at no extra cost to you. You just have to be a taxpayer to do it and have registered for Gift Aid. It’s a massive help to us if people do this so that we can fund even more end-of-life care for people in the community.
Also, we’re so lucky, we get lovely donations, even some that are brand new with tags. We’re always grateful for more quality, pre-loved items, so please bring them in to us.
We’re running some events and special promotions as well, such as our ‘Back to School’ event, which started on 23rd August. We have school uniforms at affordable prices, as well as school backpacks, pencil cases, pens and pencils etc. We also have ‘Shop & Bop’ on 12th September from 12pm to 3pm. DJ Papa G will be playing Motown, dance, soul, disco, northern soul and more, including vinyls that are on sale in our shop, which you can then purchase. All our events are promoted in the shop, so keep an eye out for them.
Lastly, it may be a little early to be talking about Christmas, but our ‘Little Shop’ will be transformed into a Christmas shop mid-November. We’re hoping to make use of our Yard area too this year so that we can offer even more festive items and create a special, sparkling experience for everyone. So that’s one for the diary and definitely worth a visit!
Find out more about all of our 13 charity shops and online shops on our website here.
