British Heart Foundation

I worked for the BHF for 7 years. 

The HR structure is completely lacking and managers are not given the tools and support to work with a very diverse mix of volunteers.

Very target driven- there is so much focus on hard selling and shop layout, ASP and using a style guide. Shops are run like normal retailers which does not work when you can’t predict what your stock will be. Prices are set far too high and though managers can be flexible with pricing it all comes back to the ASP. 

There is always too much stock coming in and so much has to go to the tip just to keep the warehouses safe enough. Sometimes in smaller stores stock will be stacked to the ceiling and block the fire exits. There are so many Heath and safety violations it’s a joke. And the only ones who are punished when things go wrong is the manager. 

Stores with larger warehouses are often forced to take transfer stock from other stores. Area managers often swoop in, force a bunch of stock moves on the shop floor (this is heavy, exhausting work) and then leave you in the lurch. We were made to report our sales figures via text message every two hours and a final figure at the end of the day.

Also managers and assistant managers are expected to go out and recruit volunteers but it can be incredibly difficult to find time to leave the store when understaffed. There were days when it was just 1 volunteer. 


I went months without an assistant manager and the company provided little to no support. When there was a serious HR issue I could not get the help I needed to resolve it and was ignored. That was the final straw and I left the company after the stress became too much. I had been crying out for help and no one was there- I got to the point where I had to use the Retail Trust for some free counselling sessions. 

The turnover of staff is very high and there’s no surprise really. 

You’d be better off working somewhere else and volunteering there - the 25% discount is the same and you can walk out whenever you want. Also I can’t imagine much money makes it to anything worthwhile with the amount they must spend printing all those pretty heavyweight posters to hang in the windows for every other sale. The amount of point of sale they sent us was UNREAL.

The company was very good to work for. It was made up of a number of widely diverse characters which gave me the chance to interact with people that i wouldnt normally on an every day basis. The people were fun and had fantastic work ethics. 

I was taught a variety of skills in my time. I was taught how to price and ticket various items of donated clothing, how to use a touch screen till as well as how to dress manaquins to impress.

The shop is always well run and the paid staff always work their hardest to make sure the volunteers are looked after and always have plenty to do.

The hardest part of the job would be dealing with the vast amount of donations the shop has delivered on an every day basis. This is purely because of the amount of donations that have to be checked, tagged, priced and steamed ready for purchase on the shop floor. Everything has to be quality checked first. However, i do find this very rewarding when the task is done. 

The most enjoable part of the job is having good work banter with the other volunteers. As well as this, i find it most enjoable helping the customers out with advice and various other tasks. It is most pleasing seeing them happy with their purchases, knowing they could become a regular customer too.

My work day usually includes most administrative duties, including working with and updating spreadsheets, organising couriers and deliveries over the internet and selling stock over the internet, during which time I have learned many key skills including working within a team, working on my own initiative and time management.

During my earlier months, I was trained personally by the manager, who has given me the training necessary to carry my own workload. I also enjoy working in the relaxed environment shared by all three of us in the office.

The hardest part of my job is dealing with difficult clients, especially when they have to be informed that the items they wish to sell on eBay will not be as lucrative as they believe.

The most enjoyable part of the job, is seeing items that I have personally listed being sold, especially when it sells for more than originally expected.

I enjoyed being part of a team my jobs included sorting and pricing items for sale,stock rotation some shop floor experience a lot of tea making this gave me some valuable shop floor experience.I worked with several different characters from all walks of life they were easy to get along with,all were friendly helpful and polite. The management were friendly they helped out on the work floor and mingled happily with all volunteers for me the hardest part of the job was coding items for pricing as there were a lot to remember the most enjoyable part of the job was that it really did leave me with a sense of worth knowing that because I chose to volunteer I made a difference I was sad to leave but have to concentrate on finding paid employment.

my job in british heart foundation was in the warehouse and shop floor, I was logging in items and making sure items was to be carried out to customers orders and re-filling the shop floor with new items such as sofas, chairs, tables, I had to unpack and rebuild flat packed items to then be placed onto the shop floor, I learnt how its easier to be in a part of a team than to always try and do it yourself, and great communication skills was used to help the team, most satisfactory feeling was to see how the customers was with our help with items they want or need. And to help to provide everything that the customers need help with.

I was working in the stockroom as a volunteer at that time. I tagged clothes and accessories and place them on the shopping floor according to their codes. When finished, I occupy my time cleaning the shopping floor. The management is great. Staffs seemed to be always busy. I'd say the most enjoyable part of the job is talking to staff members while working in the stock room and to be honest, the closest to being the hardest part of the job is when you finished everything and still want to look for more job to help out with the team.

I enjoyed volunteering at the British Heart foundation, I got very self efficient and had a lot of honour. I learnt how to work a till, how to price and tag clothes and most importantly I learnt how to help and please customers. I didn't stay in this job for long as the people that worked there talked behind each others backs with insults and I wouldn't take any part in it. So I left after several months as it became a hard work not just feeling happy that I'm volunteering for a good cause.

I enjoy volunteering as I am always busy working on the till serving customers and have learned how to use a touch screen till. I  advise customers where things are displayed, their prices and tidy the rails and shelves making sure items are displayed well and in size order.  My co-workers are friendly and helpful. The management staff are friendly and help me learn more about working in retail and the charity.

Well, the staff are friendly and lovely and willing to help if needed. They show me what to do with tagging and steaming. The managers are fun and not strict, they like to have a laugh with you which makes work more enjoyable. The co-workers are a fantastic bunch. The hardest part is that you have to stand up for long periods but I don't mind. Enjoyable part is just the endless banter.

A typical day at work would include assisting customers, tagging furniture pieces and moving them around. The management was mediocre, my co workers who were permanent workers were very unfair on work experience volunteers and as a result the shop was eventually blacklisted from the Rainham Girls list. The hardest part of the job was the managers being quite tricky to deal with.

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