Hospice shops may cut opening hours without volunteers

There is a shortage of volunteers to staff the stores especially during the holiday period and without more help opening hours will have to be cut.

This is the time when the retail units are at their busiest with cruise ship visitors popping in to look for a bargain.

Heather Kyle, volunteer coordinator, speaking in the hospice's Oak Mall shop, said: "We have a shortage, especially at this time of year with volunteers on holiday, we are trying to cover the holiday periods and the Christmas rush as well, having lots of hands on deck.

"We're at the stage that the shops would need to change opening hours to accommodate. 

"We have cruise ship passengers wandering through the town. Now the cruise terminal has moved, we have two focus areas - the Oak Mall and our Gourock shop."

The hospice has six shops in Inverclyde - five clothing/bric-a-brac shops and a book shop.

Linda Shepherd, 73, who has been a volunteer for 21 years, said: "I enjoy meeting everybody, volunteers and customers. I've made a lot of friends.

"It's a friendly atmosphere, you feel you're doing something and it gives you a purpose."

Heather says the hospice is competing with other local and national charities for volunteers.

She stressed that, as well as giving retired people a boost, volunteering can also be beneficial to young people trying to get some work experience.

Heather said: "It's great experience for people in 5th and 6th year at school. It's not just about giving up your time for free, it is unpaid work experience which pays back with exposure to the work market and also helps when people go for jobs.

"People learn how to work a till, customer service, window display, working with other people, steaming and pricing the clothes and also finding out how the hospice works."

Shops open from 10am until 4pm and usually eight volunteers work in shifts to cover the day.

If anyone is interested they should email volunteer@ardgowanhospice.org