Staff, Volunteers & Hours
Your Community Shop
Needs You!
Once the purchase of the premises was secured, we realised volunteering was more than a nice-to-have operating principle, it was the single biggest asset in our business plan, allowing us to serve the community beyond peak hours and make a profit.
Our volunteer recruitment campaign covered word-of-mouth, local schools and village fetes, picking up support along the way. Once we had enough volunteers to fill a daily rota, we used a free app to start a simple rota system and could start allocating key roles for ‘friends’ of the shop'.
The more volunteers that came on board, the more hours we could open, and the more everyone enjoyed being part of the shop growing from strength to strength.
Since opening in June 2017, our doors have been open every single day (apart from Christmas Day) and CFCS has never been short of free, dedicated, skilful, volunteer support!
Open for Business
Your business plan will largely dictate the opening hours of the business since the income / profit will be driven by the size of the shop, the volume and quality of stock, and optimum trading hours, versus footfall.
First and foremost the shop must address the needs of the community. Extensive trading hours are sensible if demand exists, and the business benefits. Equally, it is a waste of time, effort and resources to have extensive opening hours if there is sufficient income to cover the running costs at only certain times of the day. Always consider opening times to catch the ‘pre-work’, ‘school run’ and ‘post-work’ customers to whom a convenient and well-stocked community shop will provide a lifeline.
Flexibility is the key - listen to your customers and track trading performance at different times during each day.
Don’t be afraid to change opening hours to adapt to the needs of your customers and team members, as your shop progresses
During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, we reduced opening hours on weekdays from the usual hours of 7am-7pm, to 8am-12noon, and re-opening 4pm-6pm. This was to allow for necessary cleaning and re-stocking to take place and ensure social distancing between volunteers and customers.
Always make the community aware of changes in opening hours in advance with signage and social media updates.
Helping Hands
Whether you opt to have paid staff, volunteers or a mix of both, it is crucial to ensure the following are in place to make sure everything runs smoothly:
- Devise a rota system and a channel of communication for volunteers to sign up and amend shift times.
- Try to develop a helpful, enthusiastic and confident team.
- Appoint a co-ordinator who will rally the troops if gaps appear in the rota.
CFCS adopted the What’s App (www.whatsapp.com) system to keep our volunteer team connected – there are dedicated groups for different roles to avoid an overload of messaging e.g. management committee, stock management, prescription deliveries, grocery deliveries and of course a generic ‘volunteer’ group to which all are included for updates and a few fun stories!
In addition, the rota is handled via the ThreeRings app (www.threerings.org.uk) that is a simple, easy to navigate system. The App can be customised to suit your opening times and length of shifts - CFCS operate a 2-hour slot rota that volunteers can choose to suit their own schedules on a day-by-day basis.
Remember the adage ‘Horses for Courses’!
Not all of your team will want to serve customers behind the till. Some will prefer a more ‘back of house’ role by managing stock or helping with the cleaning process. Some will prefer to oversee the newspaper ordering and preparation during the earlier part of the day. There are roles to suit everyone regardless of age or ability.
Benefits of a Volunteer Operation
Rewarding
Volunteering is hugely rewarding for a wide variety of reasons; there are social, mental and physical health benefits for those who actively engage in volunteering.
Zero staff costs
A volunteer-based workforce means zero staff salary, NI and pension contribution costs. In addition, volunteers are not eligible for SSP, maternity or paternity pay. The model also saves a lot of paperwork and accountancy fees with no contractual or PAYE processes to manage.
Added energy
By working in shorter (2 hour) shifts, volunteers retain more energy and enthusiasm. CFCS feedback from customers suggests that this is a factor in adding interest and vibrancy to the business.
Full rota
A healthy roster of volunteers ensures the business can open 7 days a week. Should a volunteer be unable to complete their shift for whatever reason, another member can step in and fulfil the same duties.
Social opportunities
CFCS arranges regular social activities to thank volunteers, and to create stronger connections as a community. Due to the rota shift system, very often these occasions are when some volunteers actually meet face to face for the first time, enabling new friendships to be forged.
No age limit
At CFCS there is a wide spectrum of ages on the volunteer rota – from 18 to 80! All are welcome and all bring their own personalities, life experiences and ideas that contribute to the community shop. We are proud to be part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme which encourages the younger generation to get involved as part of the volunteer programme.
Positivity
Volunteers, quite simply, feel more positive. They are able to extend their social network beyond immediate family, friends and neighbours, in their own community. They feel genuinely PART of something and making a difference to their community.
A member of CFCS Management Committee likened the experience of volunteering to “Standing Under a Waterfall” – take a moment to think about that. The analogy is that, whoever you are, when you imagine standing under a waterfall you feel good. Scientists claim that the ‘negative ions’ from a waterfall can impact your health by responding chemically to our human ‘positive ions’. Whatever the reason, we can all agree that the very thought just makes you feel part of something good, positive and alive.
Ethos, ethos, ethos
If, like CFCS, your focus is strongly rooted in your community, a volunteer-only model fits perfectly. There are no managers or paid staff. Our volunteers are the core of our business – their contribution, enthusiasm and belief in our ethos is the overriding factor for our ongoing success.
Considerations of a Volunteer Operation
Rota gaps
There will always be a risk that shifts are unfilled. CFCS carefully monitor daily rotas and WhatsApp groups are used to flag any gaps. However CFCS has never, in 3 years, been unable to open the shop doors due to lack of volunteer cover.
Legalities
Some activities do carry to certain legal regulations. For example, Post Office services can only be carried out by those authorised to do so by Post Office Ltd, and NHS disclaimers will need to be signed by individuals handling prescription medication.
Handle with care!
Volunteers giving their free time to your community shop are not likely to welcome being ‘told what to do’. When allocating roles or duties it is essential to ‘ask’ rather than give an instruction. The management committee can give guidance on some ‘house rules’ so that parameters exist around tolerance and general behaviour to protect the integrity and ethos of the shop overall. In the case of CFCS, such guidance is always welcome as volunteers appreciate these are for the benefit of the community as a whole.
Spread the word
Word of mouth is top of the list as one of the most successful ways to attract new volunteers, or a ‘recruitment drive’ with leaflet drops or on social media.
Trial shifts
Promote taster sessions for new recruits with an experienced volunteer. This will hopefully alleviate any fears people have about being involved. Suggest these trial volunteers bring their spouses, partners or teenagers along with them – you may end up with a whole FAMILY of willing helpers!
Stay safe
Activities and volunteer roles must be in line with the legal guidelines (Health & Safety policies).
Also keep updated on specific government advice – for example CFCS closely followed the guidance regarding COVID-19 social distancing and customer requirements.
Clear instructions
Create clear task/role descriptions and have easy to follow, handy manuals available to all volunteers so that everyone understands the roles involved. CFCS have clearly marked ring binders as well as a standard ‘Daily Task Sheet’ with key duties for each shift (and a tick box to complete!).
Communicate!
Keep talking to your volunteer group through WhatsApp, social media, and during shifts. Find out what is or isn’t working well, gather suggestions, and make sure this is fed back into your management committee. Install a ‘Suggestions’ box on the counter for customers AND volunteers. The aim is to make everyone feel involved and valued – a community!
More Help...
If you need more help in sourcing volunteers, or want to advertise positions, your local Volunteer Centre can provide you with support and expertise within your local community.
There is also specific help and useful resources available if you are based in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales:
Volunteer Now (Northern Ireland)
Volunteer Scotland (Scotland)
Volunteering Wales (Wales)
