Interviewer

Alright, can you start by telling us your name, age, and what the name of the group you’re discussing today is?

 

Julie Eady

So, my name is Julie and I’m 48 and the group I’m working for is Shared Space.

 

Interviewer

Perfect. And could you talk a little bit about what first inspired you to get involved with Shared Space?

 

Julie Eady

So I actually do the bookkeeping for Shared Space. But, I saw how the shops worked and I thought I wanted to be part of that community, rather than working at home doing the bookkeeping. So, I asked if I could do a volunteer shift just to see what it was like, and I haven’t left.

 

Interviewer

When did you start?

 

Julie Eady

I’ve been doing it about six months now. I think about six months.

 

Interviewer

Oh Wow. So what does bookkeeping entail?

 

Julie Eady

Oh, so my bookkeeping is a paid position. So, I do that behind the scenes, do all the VAT, salaries, and all of that. But it was seeing the community here that made me want to come, and actually work in the shop, and do the volunteering in the shop as like a retail side of things.

Interviewer

Oh wow. And how many days a week are you here?

 

Julie Eady

So I just do Wednesday mornings, 9:30 until officially I think 1:00. But I’m normally here until 2:00 <laugh>.

 

Interviewer

Perfect. What are some of your favourite parts about being here in person and about just volunteering in general?

 

Julie Eady

I love the community here. I love the random mix of volunteers we’ve got from all different nationalities, all different backgrounds, and so I love that side of it. And I also love the retail side: all the different customers. We get a lot of regular customers so you get to know them – just engaging with them and hopefully making their day a bit brighter.

Interviewer

Awesome. Do you have any specific favorite memories you have here or any stories that stick out to you?

 

Julie Eady

One of the things we do on a Wednesday is we always have lunch together, so we just push some of the rails back and eat lunch together, and that’s just a really nice time – a special time be together and not be working, but just listening to each other’s stories.

 

Interviewer

That’s wonderful. That’s what they’re making now?

 

Julie Eady

That’s what they’re cooking right now. That’s what we can smell.

 

Interviewer

<laugh>. What are they making today?

 

Julie Eady

Some chicken dish. I’m not sure because it will be Persian. It’s a Persian lady cooking today.

 

Interviewer

Is it different people that cook every week?

 

Julie Eady

Generally Persian or Pakistani at the moment. So we have a mix of those people who are offering to cook on a Wednesday for us.

 

Interviewer

Wow, that’s awesome. Since you’ve been here, have you seen any changes over time or has it stayed pretty consistent?

 

Julie Eady

It’s always changing. The volunteers change. Different people come, different people go. Generally though the shop’s layout still the same, the concept’s still the same just to keep serving. So not huge change. It’s a charity shop.

Interviewer

And have you done any other volunteering in your life?

 

Julie Eady

Yes. So I belong to Leigh Road Baptist Church, and so I do lots of volunteering for them on a Sunday. I also am a trustee for a charity that does debt, so Christians against Poverty. So I volunteer as a trustee for that. So yes, I have been volunteering a lot.

 

Interviewer

Oh wow. As someone with a lot of volunteering experience, do you have any advice for people who are looking to start volunteering more or are very new in the volunteering field?

 

Julie Eady

So I always reflect on when I was only in my twenties, and someone encouraged me to help them do some bookkeeping as volunteering, and so I did that and then I learned skills, I learned how to work in a team, and ever since then I just try and encourage younger people to volunteer because you learn so much and you just see other people at work and yes, it’s just good experience and you get so much of a reward from it as well. Yes.

 

Interviewer

Are you guys looking for more volunteers here?

 

Julie Eady

Always look for more volunteers. There’s always space and all different skill sets. We’ve got a new eBay just – well not new – but, eBay’s just being set up again, so that’s an opportunity for people that don’t want to be out the front doing till and stuff like that. So always different opportunities for volunteers. If they want to volunteer we’ll find a job for them.

Interviewer

Perfect. And I guess to kind of conclude, how do you feel that Shared Space helps the community?

 

Julie Eady

I think two ways. The customers, we obviously are selling goods at reasonable price and it seems to be a little place where they come in, they know they’re going to be welcome here. So, I think we serve our customers so that is the local community. And then quite often it’s our customers that end up volunteering for us. There is a bit of a connection there goes on. So, there is a family atmosphere so people feel, I’d like to think, cared for and loved when they’re here.

 

Interviewer

Wow. Beautiful. And is there anything else you would like to add or to put out into the world?

 

Julie Eady

No, that’s great. Just volunteer, honestly. It’s good fun and it’s not a huge amount of time out of your life. It’s worth doing.

 

Interviewer

Alright. Thank you so much.

 

Julie Eady

Thank you.