Training and Development

Charity retailers often find themselves making do with scarce resources – and this applies especially to the colleagues who make the organisation function. Getting the best from a team of volunteers means equipping them with the right training.

As an Accredited UK Training Provider, we understand the value of skills and knowledge. Our training support is geared to complement your charity’s compulsory training. The investment can pay dividends in terms of increased productivity, confidence, and staff retention!

A bespoke approach to training

We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Since every charity retailer is constituted differently, they have different requirements when it comes to training. By tailoring the training to suit those requirements, we can achieve far superior results.

Making Training Fun

When people enjoy their training, they are more like to retain the information and put it into practice. This is especially the case when people are volunteering their time and energy to a cause. As such, our classroom sessions are fun and engaging, and have enjoyed a feedback score of over 90% satisfaction from our previous participants.

We had a full day workshop for staff and volunteers which for me was a real highlight, run by Barry and presented extremely professionally. Everyone went away motivated, understanding their achievements already, and ready to implement improvements

Jane Bradshaw CEO St Teresa’s Hospice

What does Training Cover?

Our training sessions cover every facet of Charity Retail, including:

Pricing Strategies
Effective use of retail space
Gathering consumer data
Gift Aid
Visual Merchandising
Customer Service
Operational Policies and Procedures and how to develop them
Volunteer recruitment and retention

Each of these categories is important in its own way, but your circumstances might call for greater weight to be placed in some areas than in others. We will work with you to assess your strengths, weaknesses, and priorities for training, and then we’ll devise a bespoke package that best matches your needs.

Training in many forms

The training we offer comes in several different forms, which we can mix and match as required. Most businesses will benefit from a combination of different training approaches.

Classroom Training

Our classroom sessions take place in a safe space, where volunteers can feel comfortable expressing themselves. This removes defensive thinking and makes learners more receptive to new information. We combine spoken instruction with hands-on activities, pictures, videos, and discussion.

On Site

Onsite instruction allows us to apply new skills to a real-world setting and demonstrate how different methods can provide added value. We’ll recap classroom exercises on a one-to-one basis that empowers the individual and establish standards that can be maintained and understood by volunteers.

Each of these settings confers different advantages and drawbacks. A classroom is great for avoiding distraction and focussing on theory; onsite training allows us to put that theory into practice. On top of this, we also provide online training resources, which are being constantly updated.

Commercial Training

We also deliver commercial training for those in more senior roles. We can:

By using data to drive decision-making process, we can ensure that we make the best use of the available store space. We can anticipate changes in customer behaviour, whether those changes are seasonal or driven by the broader economic climate.

These sessions will establish a flagship store framework for your stores, which can be used to set the standard for your other stores to follow. They’ll also incorporate Gift Aid best practice, and help to cement high-standards of customer service.

Virtual training packages

Our virtual training packages cover every element of Charity Retail. They can be run as a group session or on a one-to-one basis and provide a complete training library – which is perfect for inducting new recruits and refreshing existing volunteers.

Mentoring

Where formal coaching is not appropriate, a softer form of support can still be enormously beneficial. We offer remote mentoring support tailored to the needs of the individual. Mentoring may suit an experienced leader who wants to develop further, or it may form a continuation of a coaching support programme.

Choose us to provide your training, and not only will you receive a programme tailored and delivered to the highest standard by a team of UK registered learning providers:

You’ll also receive a copy of our industry-leading Brand Pricing Directory.

A signed copy of our published book: ‘The Science of Charity Retail’.

Leadership Coaching

Great leadership relies on a diverse set of skills, many of which can be taught. Our leadership programme builds confidence, raises performance, and reduces stress. It covers everything required to run a Retail Charity and can be formulated to support an existing personal development plan.

Much like our other training options, it can be tailored to individual requirements. Whatever your background and level of experience, we can help. Whether you’re finding it difficult to juggle limited resources, you’re looking to ease the transition from a more junior role, or you’d simply like to develop yourself in a structured learning programme, we can provide the support you need to thrive in charity retail.