SVP Calls for Volunteers for its Vincent’s Charity Shops in Northern Ireland

The Society of St Vincent De Paul (SVP) is appealing for volunteers from across Northern Ireland to help out at their local Vincent’s Charity Shop. There are 33 Vincent’s Charity Shops, several in every county. The phased re-opening of the shops will begin shortly, please check website and media for details.

Anne Crossan, Regional Retail Manager, SVP Northern Ireland said:
"We have used this time at home to declutter, as we’re receiving a lot of calls from the public asking when they can donate to our shops again. This is great news and we’re all looking forward to getting back to work, once it’s safe to do so, but we anticipate that we will need many extra hands to help us get this new stock ready across all our shops in Northern Ireland. 

“So if you have time on your hands, maybe you’ve been furloughed from work or finished college early, whatever the reason, why not contact us and find out how you can help us continue the amazing support SVP provides to the most vulnerable in our communities.”

Pauline Brown, Regional Manager, SVP Northern Ireland said:

“Last year we supported more than 15,500 families with requests for support, usually food, energy bills and education items, providing almost £3m in financial assistance in Northern Ireland alone.  We expect a surge in requests in the coming weeks as many people find themselves struggling financially as a result of losing their jobs or living on reduced income, due to the necessary restrictions to combat the spread of Covid-19.

“We rely heavily on the income from our Vincent’s shops to carry out our work, so if you can, we could really do with your help in our shops once they reopen. Our 2000 members who operate in 180 branches across Northern Ireland are all volunteers. They’ve been working very hard to continue offering support over the past weeks while physical visits to homes have been halted they’ve been working online and by telephone to provide support to those seeking help.”

Anne Crossan adds:
“Even if you just have a few hours each week, we still need your help. It’s coming up to Volunteers week (1 to 7 June) so we’d like to say a big thank you to our amazing team of almost 500 retail volunteers for their commitment, dedication and hard work to help our cause. We’ve missed everyone over the past 8 weeks but look forward to welcoming them and hopefully our new recruits through the doors of Vincents soon.”

To volunteer for SVP please email retailvolunteers@svp.ie. Donations can also be made via www.svp.ie and directed for use in the Northern Ireland region.