Giving back: Our volunteering days with Hospice in the Weald
Over the past few weeks, several of the Paperstone team swapped their office desks for the busy floor of a local charity shop – all in support of the brilliant Hospice in the Weald. And honestly? We’ve absolutely loved it.
We’ve helped with sorting through donations, tagging and pricing items, and hanging up rails and rails of clothing. We helped get the store ready for their first ever Christmas Glitz & Glam event.
It’s fair to say the days were full on (retail superheroes, we salute you). Between the hustle, bustle and festive glitter everywhere – it was a genuinely rewarding experience.
One thing that really stood out to us was just how much charity shops depend on volunteers. Many stores are run by just one or two staff members who juggle everything. They sort donations, serve customers, organise product displays… you name it. And they still do it with a smile. Volunteers aren’t just a nice extra; they’re a lifeline that keeps the doors open and the shelves full. Spending time in-store opened our eyes to the hard work happening behind the scenes every single day.
Why we’re doing this
We’ve wanted to help in the local community for years, but as often happens, the day job gets in the way, even with the best intentions. We finally rolled out our new volunteering programme in October. It gives each team member a paid day every year to help a local charity.
It’s not about ticking boxes – it’s about doing something real, connecting with our community, and bringing people together in a way that’s very different from office life.
The impact on our team? Huge.
There’s something about working side-by-side on a cause that matters that boosts morale in all the right ways. It brings people together, gives everyone a little “feel-good fuel”, and creates the kind of shared memories that stick around longer than any meeting ever will.
Why your business should consider it
If you’re a business thinking about setting up your own volunteering scheme, we can’t recommend it enough. It’s good for the community, good for your team, and let’s be honest – good for the soul. It doesn’t need to be huge or complicated; even a single day makes a difference.
A big shout-out
We want to give a heartfelt thank you to Hospice in the Weald for welcoming us and letting us be part of the amazing work they do, even if it felt like we were getting in their way at times. We’re proud to support the incredible work they do.
This certainly won’t be our last volunteering adventure – and we can’t wait for the next one.
If you want to chat to us about how we got started, get in touch and we’d be happy to share tips from our recent experience.
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