Whickham Shop Manager, Dawn, Celebrates 10 Years with St Oswald’s Hospice

Dawn Wills is the manager of St Oswald’s Hospice’s Whickham Shop and has recently celebrated 10 years in the role.

From managing volunteers and adapting during the pandemic, to helping run the Shaun the Sheep pop up shop, Dawn took a few minutes to chat about what the last decade at St Oswald’s Hospice has been like.

What does your role entail?

I handle the day to day running of the shop and the customer service. I’m in charge of opening up, putting stock out, allocating tasks and making the rota.

Besides that, I’m also involved in volunteer recruitment. Whickham is a training shop so new retail staff and volunteers come here to learn the ropes!

What’s the best part of your job?

People! I love my team and my customers.

Because we’re in a village we have a great customer base who come in every day and we know by name. Our store is a very close community hub so people often come to catch up and shop.

We’ve got a cracking team that’s taken 10 years to build.

What’s kept you in the role for 10 years?

It’s important to me to make a difference and help other people. I feel like I do this every time I come into work.

How have things changed since you started?

The central retail management team has gotten bigger and more structured, communication has gotten easier and meetings have gotten better. We’re moving with the times and it’s been great.

Have you got a favourite memory from the last ten years?

My favourite memory so far is helping out on the Shaun the Sheep trail last year! I worked in the Shaun the Sheep HQ shop twice a week and really enjoyed it.

Another thing that stands out is winning Whickham Rotary Club’s Christmas window competition a couple of times!

If you could talk to yourself the day you first started, what would you say?

Give it time. It’s a hard job but it’s very rewarding and it will become second nature. You will love it!

Also, stay calm. We’re a high volume store so get 200 to 250 bags of donations a week. Initially it was stressful, but there’s always someone I can ring if I need a hand.

How did you first get into working for St Oswald’s Hospice retail?

My mum used to manage the Gosforth shop and told me this position was available. At the time it was a big jump and I was nervous, but once I got the position I’ve never looked back.

What’s it like working with a team of volunteers?

Everyone who comes as a volunteer comes because they want to help out. It makes a huge difference when your volunteers are here because they want to be. I couldn’t do it without my team of volunteers.

In 3 words, how would you describe the care that St Oswald’s Hospice provides?

Outstanding. Needed. Essential.

What advice would you give to anyone looking to get into charity retail?

It’s hard work and challenging but it’s also rewarding. It’s important to know you’re making a difference and helping people, it’s the main reason I come. When I retire, I’ll definitely volunteer for St Oswald’s Hospice.

Congratulations for reaching an incredible milestone Dawn, and thank you for all your hard work.

We can’t wait to see what you and the rest of the Whickham team achieve over the next few years!