Volunteering with Cards for Good Causes in 2022

It is just over a month now until our Christmas pop-up shops open, all of which operate on a day-today basis with an enthusiastic and dedicated team of volunteers. They are vital to the success of the shops and are an integral part of how our charity operates. 

There are many reasons why people choose to volunteer. Did you know that volunteering actually increases levels of our feel good hormones? According to Christine Northrup (Northrup, C ‘The Wisdom of Menopause’ p99, Hay House Inc, 2021) volunteering increases our levels of oxytocin, which means volunteering not only feels good, but it is good for our health too. 

There are many reasons why volunteers choose Cards for Good Causes and why so many volunteers return to us year after year. 

1)One reason is that it is a short commitment. Ordinarily, the shops are open for 10 weeks from October to December in the run up to Christmas and our volunteers complete one session of 3 hours per week, which means it is a manageable commitment. 

2)Some people volunteer because they have an allegiance with the space that is hosting the Card Shop. For example, in one of our shops that is hosted in the entrance to a Baptist Church, a member of that church has been a regular volunteer. 

They said, ‘I was involved in the original discussions for the Card For Good Causes pop-up shop to move to our church about 10 years ago and have been a volunteer in the shop ever since. I love being part of making the shop an important part of celebrating Christmas and contributing to the work of so many different charities’. 

This particular shop draws lots of additional people into the church, who are often surprised by what they find there, from coffee mornings, to toddler groups, to choirs. On the other hand, members of the church enjoy browsing through the cards and gifts on sale. Customers are always assured of a warm welcome from the moment they step into our shop and are greeted by our team of volunteers. 

3)Volunteering with Cards For Good Causes is also a meaningful way to support a variety of good causes for over 70 UK charities. 

4)Volunteering is also an opportunity to develop and enjoy new experiences. You’ll connect with new people, learn new skills and share what you know. We have many students joining us as Shop Volunteers, Administration and Marketing volunteers as well. Volunteering can be an effective way to make your CV stand out.

Volunteering is undertaken by people of all ages and there is no ‘typical’ volunteer. In one of our Bristol shops we have attracted overseas students who want to improve their English skills, one of whom was invited to spend a traditional English Christmas with the family of another of our volunteers. Volunteering goes way beyond just working in the shop for 3 hours per week. It enables people to build relationships. For some of our older volunteers it’s a vital opportunity to get out and spend time in the company of other people. It also helps to keep the ‘little grey cells’ working as volunteers engage with customers and learn how to use the till system. 

It is highly likely that there will be a Card for Good Causes shop near where you live and we are currently recruiting volunteers. Try it for yourself, we hope to see you as a part of our volunteer family. 

Please click this link to apply for volunteering roles: www.cardsforcharity.co.uk/volunteer 

1)Pop-up Shop Volunteers for local Christmas Pop-Up Shops  

2)Visual merchandisers for local Christmas Pop-Up Shops  

3)Local Marketing Champions for local Christmas Pop-Up Shops  

4)TikTok Marketing Ambassadors (remote) 

6)National & Local PR manager (remote) 

7)SEO assistant (remote) 

8)Blog writers (remote) 

9)Photographers (remote) 

10)Influencers/Bloggers (remote) 

Or contact us on volunteer.support@cfgc.org.uk for further information.

This blog post is written by Stephanie Toft, Shop Manager at Cards For Good Causes Christmas pop-up shop in Bristol.