ChangeMakers: Springhill Hospice Ebay Site

This summer as part of her social action through Keep Doing Good, NCS Grad Elizabeth volunteered at the Springhill Hospice Charity Shop to help the team build their online presence.

“Spring Hill Hospice is a charity that means a lot to my family and so when I was given the opportunity to volunteer there I couldn’t say no” said Elizabeth. 

Elizabeth teamed up with Sarah, who runs the shop’s e-commerce department and together they developed and improved the charity’s eBay process - no easy feat given the shop’s temperamental internet connection! “However, if [the internet] was down I could always be getting on with other jobs such as taking photographs” Elizabeth reflected.  

Over five weeks, Elizabeth explained that her role was “helping to make the shop run more efficiently including researching, photographing and listing items. I also helped to package items and come up with a more efficient storage solution including labelled shelves for items that had been listed as ‘buy now’ and those on auction.” 

Sarah added, “There was not only an increase in our listings and takings, but an increase in morale around eBay. Having new ideas definitely spurred us on and made us think a lot more about what we were trying to achieve. Having a different set of eyes on the process helped to identify what we could work much better on and what we were already doing well.” 

As a result of this work, the store  saw a big increase in takings, listings and general statistics on their new eBay shop.  “We gained a lot of useful knowledge from having another person in the office” said Sarah, “Elizabeth brought brand knowledge and new ideas that haven’t been thought of previously.”

And it’s certainly sparked a fire in Elizabeth to keep helping out when she can! “When I am home from university in the holidays I hope to go back to the hospice and continue where I left off. I would also like to get involved in some more charity events when they  run again, including the sponsored walks and I’d encourage others to get involved too.” 

So what advice would Elizabeth give anyone thinking of volunteering? “If you are given the opportunity, take it with both hands. My time as a volunteer has been invaluable and volunteering somewhere particularly close to my family’s hearts has made the experience extra rewarding. If you can spare even a few hours of your time per week in order to volunteer with a charity I would definitely encourage you to do so, as what seems a small amount of time to you can make the world of difference to them.”

WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHERE YOU ARE?

Want to carry out some social action in your community but aren’t sure where to start? Why not use The Charity Retail Association’s charity shop locator! Pop in your postcode and sign up to volunteer with charity shops where you live. Or, take a look at a Local Action Group near you...

And if you’ve already taken part in a social action project that you’re proud of, let us know! Tell us all about it here.