St Luke’s Community Shop and Café plays a vital role in supporting local residents facing food poverty by providing access to affordable food and essential items in a welcoming environment. This community project also helps reduce food waste by distributing surplus food donated by our partner organisations. Our volunteer team help the Wellbeing Hub team in receiving and sorting food deliveries and support the smooth running of our pop-up Community Shop and Café.
Outline of Volunteering Duties
1. To help with the safe unloading and storage of food delivered by our donation partners into the Wellbeing Hub.
2. To assist with recording the donated and purchased food and store in the appropriate areas.
3. To help sort and display fresh fruit and vegetables for local residents shopping by appointment.
4. To help move and prepare stock ahead of community shop opening.
5. To ensure the Wellbeing Hub areas are clean, safe and tidy during and at the end of each session.
6. To help with customer service, registration and payments during shop opening hours.
7. To help set up the café area and serve refreshments to vulnerable members.
8. To raise any concerns with staff and to act in accordance with the Volunteer Handbook and the Organisation’s Code of Conduct.
9. To work effectively with St Luke’s Wellbeing Hub staff and other volunteers to deliver a confidential service that is non-judgemental.
- Make a real impact - Support local residents facing food poverty by providing access to affordable food and essential items
- Build meaningful connections – Engage with a diverse range of people, hearing their stories and supporting them in a hands-on way.
- Develop valuable skills – Strengthen your communication and teamwork skills - great for both personal growth and your CV.
- Be part of a supportive community – Join a friendly team of volunteers and staff who are passionate about making a difference.
- A rewarding experience – See the difference made to local families through your support.
- How to communicate effectively – Adapt your approach to support people with the distribution of affordable food.
- How to provide a safe and welcoming space – Develop the skills to create an inclusive, encouraging environment.
- Patience and empathy – Strengthen your ability to support members with different needs, backgrounds and confidence levels.
We would like volunteers to commit to 3-4 hours at least once a week. Days and hours are flexible. We have vacancies on Tuesdays 10am – 1pm (deliveries), Wednesdays 9:30am - 12:30 pm and 1:00 pm – 4:00pm.
We are looking for friendly and reliable volunteers who are able to lift and carry crates of food. We provide full training for all volunteers and a free lunch for volunteers doing 4 or more hours.
For more information:
Community Engagement and Volunteer Coordinator – hwillmott@slpt.org.uk
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