Shop Volunteer - Reading (Friar Street)

This shop has shifts available everyday of the week.

Volunteer in our shops

Our  shop volunteers  are  helping us beat cancer right now.   

In 2019/20, 14,000 volunteers gave 3.1 million hours of their time and sold items totalling £15million. These funds are helping us start new clinical trials and research treatments as we speak.  

If you  volunteer  at a Cancer Research UK shop,  you too could make a real difference to what we can achieve.  Nothing we do would be possible without  amazing volunteers  like you.  

You’ll also  gain valuable skills to help develop your CV and experience.  And you’ll volunteer alongside a wonderful team of passionate, friendly people  who will support you  every step of the way.  

Volunteering is open to everyone and no experience is required.  So,  if you’re looking for a new challenge, we’d love to hear from  you.  

What do shop volunteers do? 

Volunteering in our shops is varied, exciting and rewarding. No two days are the same and you have the chance to flex different skills regularly. There are always new opportunities to keep you engaged and help you grow and develop in your role.  

While this list is not exhaustive, it gives you a flavour of some of the typical tasks in our charity shops:  

• Serving customers, taking  payments  and providing good all-round customer service  

• Sorting through donated items and pricing stock  

• Working on window and shop displays  

• Keeping the shop tidy, clean and well organised  

• Interacting with the general public  

• Following new health, safety and social distancing measures  

You don’t need any experience to volunteer 

You just need to be motivated, hardworking and enjoy being part of a team. There’ll be a full induction as well as ongoing training opportunities to make sure you’re fully confident and able to excel in your role. 

Why should I volunteer?

Volunteering brings a wealth of benefits, both personal and professional.   

• Every volunteer hour  you  donate means we can sell 6 items and make £20 of income. So, if you volunteer for a 7-hour day, this can generate £140. That means that every day you volunteer, you’ll be raising more funds to beat cancer.   

• You’ll gain important skills that are hugely valued in the workplace such as teamwork, communication and using your initiative.  

• You can boost your CV by working towards an NVQ in Retail with Derby College,  and  we'll provide you with a reference.  

• It will allow you to get involved in your local community and to meet new friends.  

• Our friendly  CRUK  team will be there to support you all the way – offering guidance and helping you build your confidence.  

• It’s fun – you’ll gain real satisfaction from volunteering alongside our warm, friendly shop volunteers who will make you feel right at home. 

The minimum age for volunteering in our shops is 18 . If  you’re aged  between 16 -18 you may still be able to volunteer in our  shops,  but you must be on a recognised scheme, for example, the Duke of Edinburgh.  

What happens next?

Click ‘Apply Now’ at the top of this page   to  complete an online application  form. We’ll then get in touch directly to tell you more.  

In the meantime, check out our new Volunteer Hub to read the latest volunteering news from Cancer Research UK. 

At Cancer Research UK we value diversity and we're committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone is able to be themselves and to reach their full potential. We will consider making any reasonable adjustments to support volunteer applications from people with a disability or health condition. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures and believe that volunteers from diverse backgrounds will help us to beat cancer.