A new charity volunteer who raises funds by scanning and selling books says getting involved has opened an exciting new chapter of her life. Grace Francis lends a hand at the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) Retail Distribution Centre (RDC), in Thetford. She has been volunteering for nearly two months and helps run the charity’s busy Amazon store. She helps organise donated books and scans and checks their suggested price online. Profitable books are then listed for sale and sent to customers. Others might be sold in the charity’s many book rooms and even those worth very little can be pulped and generate recycling income – at the same time saving them being sent to landfill. Grace joined the team after eight years working in a care home. “I wanted to try something new but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next,” said the 26-year-old, who lives in Bridgham and was speaking during EACH’s ‘Be the difference’ campaign – a drive to find more volunteers to support its fast-growing Retail operation. “I’d spent several years as a carer, working my way up to a senior level. “Covid then struck and my job became incredibly stressful. I wasn’t enjoying it anymore and needed a change. “That’s why I started volunteering – to pick up new skills, give myself a taste of something new and also to buy myself time, without rushing into a new job. “My dad works for the organisation and he knew they were looking for extra help at RDC. “He pointed out that offering my services would give me something else to put on my CV. He’s right and it’s been a brilliant experience.” Grace says her role has given her plenty of food for thought, in terms of her next career move. She said: “Just being here for a month or so has really whet my appetite for working in this kind of environment. “I’d love to work either in retail or for a charity – or perhaps both, as is the case with my volunteering. “I’d definitely recommend it to anyone and especially those in a similar position to me, or perhaps a student fresh out of school or university. “Volunteering gives you a chance to do something fun and rewarding while also taking time to think about the future, without rushing into anything or making kneejerk decisions.” Grace volunteers twice a week but is always willing to do more, if extra help is needed. EACH’s Amazon service has become a fast-growing key income stream. In an average week, the team sell around 150 books, with an average selling price of just over £8. The scheme usually generates more than £1,000 a week and, typically, there are around 4,500 books on the EACH account. Grace says that aside from the satisfaction and fulfilment of supporting EACH, she also finds her role genuinely enjoyable and interesting. “I love meeting new people and also looking at and learning about new books,” she said. “It’s fascinating and there’s so much to learn. “I’m not a bookworm, as such, but being here makes me want to devote more time to reading. “I can see why people love it and find it interesting going through our donations. We get such a huge range and so much variety.” Digital sales assistant Sue Nettleingham oversees EACH’s Amazon operation. Within a year in the post, she has seen takings grown threefold. She is always on the lookout for more volunteers, like Grace. To find out more about volunteering in the Amazon department, contact Sue via [email protected] or contact her at RDC on 01842 821620. Image credits EACH
