From our shops
Our charity shops are amazing places and make a big impact. They are sociable and full of people who are whole-heartedly working hard for children and young people with cancer. Providing top notch customer service and a wonderful shopping experience too.
Where will your volunteering take you?
At Young Lives vs Cancer we know that volunteers bring a lot to the table. Whatever role you take on in our shops our goal is to help you be the best you can be. That’s why we’ll make sure you have the opportunity to develop your skills (including the opportunity to do an NVQ), increase employability, create friendships that will last a life time and importantly, directly impact the services we provide for children and young people with cancer.
To find out how you can get involved in our shops network check out the roles below. You can also find out where our shops are and which ones are open by clicking here.
Do you enjoy meeting and chatting with people? Have you ever walked past one of our shops and wondered what it would be like to be a part of our shop team? Have you thought about using your existing skills or learning new ones? If you have said yes to at least one of these questions, then look no further.
Our shops raise vital funds to help everyone under 25 with cancer, and their families, get the support they need to thrive, not just survive. Therefore, we need volunteers like you, to support the smooth running of our shops.
We need someone who can
· Be a welcoming face to the general public and representing Young Lives vs Cancer
· Work in the stock room sorting and preparing stock for the shop floor
· Steam and merchandise stock
· Provide customers with excellent customer service
· Work with the shop team to ensure the shop is a happy and atmospheric place to be for volunteers, staff and customers.
Each shop has different needs and we recognise each volunteer will have different interests and motivations. For example, you could welcome customers, help keep the shop tidy, process donations or do a bit of steaming. And if you fancy, you can try operating the till and handling cash and credit card purchases. You can choose to cover whatever area of the shop takes your interest.
In return, we will make sure that the time you spend with us is enjoyable and fulfilling so that you will have lots of fun while contributing to a worthwhile cause. You can fit this role around any other commitments you may have. Whether you have a few hours or a few days per week to give, we want to hear from you. We will provide full training for the role and the support of a dedicated Volunteer Manager.
So please fill in the form below to apply, and we will get in touch with you soon.
Location
This role is currently available in the following shops: Saltash, Newton Abbot, and Wells. For a full list, click here.
Do you enjoy the whole process of welcoming customers to the till and chatting with them while completing their purchases? Can you stay focused when managing money and provide excellent customer service simultaneously? Will you relish the thought that every sale that you process is helping to provide support to our service users?
If so, we would love you to become part of our shop team and help us cover this customer-facing role. Our shops raise vital funds to help everyone under 25 with cancer, and their families, get the support they need to thrive, not just survive. Therefore, we need volunteers like you to support the smooth running of our shops.
In this role you’ll be
· Providing friendly customer service to the general public and represent Young Lives vs Cancer
· Operating a simple till – we’ll make sure you have all the training you need to operate the till successfully and confidently
· Accepting donations of stock from the public and encouraging donors to gift aid their donations
· Keeping the till area and the shop tidy and welcoming
As a Till Operator you’ll need to have excellent interpersonal skills to help customers with their purchases and talk to them about Young Lives vs Cancer. You’ll need to be comfortable with technology or be open to learning how to operate a technology based till.
In return we’ll make sure you have a warm, supportive and community focused environment to volunteer in. We will also provide full training for the role and the support of a dedicated Volunteer Manager – this will include opportunities to learn and develop skills in your role if that is something you are interested in. So, we want to hear from you whether you can give us a few hours or a few days per week.
So please fill in the form below to apply, and we will get in touch with you soon.
Location
This role is currently available only in our Wells shop.
Our shops raise vital funds to help everyone under 25 with cancer, and their families, get the support they need to thrive, not just survive. If that sounds like something you want to be part of, and you have a creative flare, then read on.
A window display is often the first impression a passerby will get from our shops. Therefore, we need creative window displays that set us apart from others to entice our customers into our shops. This role is for you if you have an artistic touch, an eye for colour, a sense of design and enjoy window dressing.
We need someone who can
· Use their artistic flair to create and maintain window displays, including posters and signage
· Take photos and videos of products in the shop to be shared on social media
· Make sure products on the shop floor are presented in an eye-catching and effective way
· Keep an eye out for current trends, events, and celebrations which reflect the diversity of our community and incorporate them into the merchandising of our products
This role is the perfect opportunity for someone who is looking for a creative outlet and experiment with sustainability, enticing windows and inspiring shopping. Ideally you will also be comfortable with social media and have an eye for taking attractive photos that can be used to share new window displays, or help share rare finds in the shop.
This role is fairly flexible, but we are looking for someone who could give at least a couple of hours a week. In return, we will make sure that the time you spend with us is enjoyable and fulfilling so that you will have lots of fun while contributing to a worthwhile cause.
Please fill in the form below to apply, and we will get in touch with you soon.
Location
This role is currently available only in our Newton Abbot shop.
Our online retail team sells donated electrical goods, collectables and antiques online to help us raise vital funds. Our shops need someone who has an eagle eye and knows how to spot genuine antiques or high-valued items. This role will suit someone who is inquisitive, enjoy being a detective, and get much satisfaction from finding that ‘gem’.
We need someone who can
· Work closely with the shop team to identify products with a potentially high value
· Use IT skills to research products of interest to enable us to maximise every sale
· Source new online sites or venues to sell the donated collectables
· Liaise and collaborate with warehouse and online teams to share knowledge and skills
The Ecommerce Specialist has a strong link with the warehouse and online teams to maximise the sales potential of the donated items. Your priority would be to research and identify products with a high value or specialist markets. With your help and expertise, we can avoid any missed opportunities.
If you are fascinated by the hidden value or niche products and get great satisfaction seeking out information then you’ll definitely be captivated by this role. It’s an opportunity to put your detective skills and knowledge to excellent use!
This is a flexible role with the potential to carry it out remotely, but we are looking for someone who can commit at least 1 – 3 hours of their time a week. In return, we will make sure that the time you spend with us is enjoyable and fulfilling so that you will have lots of fun while contributing to a worthwhile cause.
Please fill in the form below to apply, and we will get in touch with you soon.
Location
This role is currently available at the Saltash shop only.
At Young Lives vs Cancer, we help families find the strength to face everything cancer throws at them. Our shop teams work hard to raise funds which allow us to make our mission a reality. We are on the lookout for dedicated and passionate volunteers who have strong relationships with their local communities to be our eyes, ears, and voice in the local community.
You will enjoy this role if you like meeting new people, have excellent communication skills and are passionate about creating opportunities through connecting with people in your community.
We need someone who can
· Use their knowledge of the local area to open up lots of fundraising opportunities for Young Lives vs Cancer
· Approach and talk to new people and groups in their local community – you don’t need to have lots of experience
· Help with advertising for new shop volunteers, keeping on top of current advertising sites and looking for new places and groups to advertise to
· Look for places for us to sell stock outside of the shop, and play an active role in facilitating this (fetes, fashion shows)
· Organise other group community fundraising events for fellow shop volunteers (bucket collections, sponsored walks)
As a Community Ambassador, you will help raise awareness of our vital work by attending local community events, organising bucket collections, servicing collection tins, and re-stocking leaflets or promotional materials in the community.
This is a flexible role with the potential to carry it out remotely, but you should be aged 18 or over. We are looking for someone who could give at least a couple of hours each week. In return, we will make sure that the time you spend with us is enjoyable and fulfilling so that you will have lots of fun while contributing to a worthwhile cause.
Please fill in the form below to apply, and we will get in touch with you soon.
Location
This role is unavailable in our shops at the moment.
At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their race, class, sex, disability, sexual orientation – or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. At Young Lives vs Cancer, we do not just accept difference — we value it, we celebrate it, we nurture it, and we thrive off it.
We positively welcome your application irrespective of your background. We are on a journey, and if you join us, you will be part of a community that is committed make a difference to the lives of children and young people with cancer.
Still not sure or need support completing the application form?
If you’ve not fallen in love with one of these roles or need a little extra help completing the application form, chat to us. Get in touch with our team who are on hand to talk all things volunteering and help you get your application complete. Just email: iwanttovolunteer@younglivesvscancer.org.uk.