Any businesses looking for voluntary work?

[mrtimelover]

Hi there,

I've accapted that it is very hard for a 16 year old with no experience to get paid work, so i've decided to seek voluntary work, preferably in small businesses. I would prefer work in Sydenham and Forest hill but please leave any suggestions you have.

Thanks

[mosy]

The only place I can think of would be one of the charity shops, e.g. the one opposite the Co-op on Sydenham Road, or either of the couple on the left if walking up towards the roundabout at the Syd station end. If the manager is amenable, perhaps you could learn at least the till and maybe about some record keeping? St Christopher's has a hospice in Lawrie Park Road I think, so I guess you could ask there.

Have you tried for paid work at Sainsbury - the big one at Bell Green? The work used to be in shifts including some overnight if you'd be prepared to do that. Could also try Lidl.

If you are any good at sport (e.g. football), you could see if Grass Roots Sport Development are looking for anyone as an "assistant-to" the trainer; they'll likely be running summer camps even though schools are on summer break. (You'd need one of those police check certificates as it'd be working with children.) It would be paid work, if of course they have any vacancies.

Good luck. It'd be easy to say "keep your chin up"; displaying confidence and enthusiasm does count though so try to hang on to that.

[mosy]

I just asked at the the Cancer Research shop (opp Co-op) who tell me that they are fully staffed and apparently are limited as to the number even of volunteers they can take on (which rather surprised me). They reminded me of Scope further down opp Lidl. 'Twas a bit late just now to ask in other shops as already closed. I found it was hard to find work for free as a lot of limited companies need to have any employee registered on their payroll, then all sorts of other things "kick in" so they weren't interested. Perhaps a smaller family business is less constrained.

[mrtimelover]

Thanks for the info mosy, really appreciate it. I did try in sainsbury's but unfortunately they were also not recruiting. My uncle knows someone who works in a charity shop, I shall have to ask him which one it is. Thank you again.

In the meantime any other suggestions from anybody will be apreciated.

[ksyd]

http://www.do-it.org.uk/