Two students from Reigate College supported National Volunteering Week by going head to head with students from Canterbury College in a retail challenge organised by The Children’s Trust. The task was to spend a day in their local Children’s Trust shop, and whoever increased sales the most would be crowned winner.

Lower Sixth students Imogen Maynard Reeves and Tamzin Elliott took up the gauntlet for Reigate College. Working flat out throughout the day, they dressed the shop window ready for Mother’s Day and helped regular volunteers in the stock room, sifting through donations and pricing them up ready to go out on the shop floor.

Their hard work paid off and they managed to increase sales by almost 40% from the same day in the previous week. 

Canterbury College students also performed well, securing an increased number of donations for their shop, but as it was sales they were being judged on, Reigate won the day!

Children’s Trust shops raise over £2 million for children and young people with brain injury and neuro-disability every year, and both Imogen and Tamzin were really pleased to have had the opportunity to be part of this. Imogen commented, “I thoroughly enjoyed my time volunteering at the Children’s Trust. It gave me an insight into the day-to-day running of a charity shop and has encouraged me to look for work experience at the Children’s Trust School in Tadworth to learn about the impact donations have on the children.”

Tamzin agreed it was an incredibly worthwhile day, saying, “I was grateful to have the opportunity of playing an active part in the running of the charity shop. I enjoyed the challenge of creating a window display as well as the work in the stockroom, and meeting the other volunteers gave me a better understanding and appreciation for the work that they do.” 

Find out more about Charity events at Reigate College.