A Plas Newton woman who spends two days a week working in a Chester charity shop has been praised for her years of voluntary service.
Retired nursery and play group carer, Sheila Peak, 66, has worked in the Age UK shop in Watergate Street since she retired six years ago and says she has no intention of putting her feet up just yet.
Sheila, who says she has many friends among the shop’s regular customers, said: “I really enjoy it and love meeting our regular and new customers. I’ve made friends with people from all over the world, it’s been fantastic.
“I have always worked and when I retired I decided I’d like to volunteer to work in a shop. My daughter, Val Lowe, is the shop manager and I really enjoy working with her and the rest of the team.”
And Sheila doesn’t just raise funds for Age UK within the shop as she takes new goods to Newton House, the sheltered accommodation where she lives, and takes orders from fellow residents.
She said: “Some residents can’t get into town too easily so when we have new stock, such as socks, gloves, tea towels and such like in stock I take a sample and take orders.
“I also bake cakes and take them around some of the other shops in Watergate Street and Bridge Street selling them, along with her charity bobbles, which are like badges, to shop staff. Everyone is so kind and I also do really well.
“And I have been known to dress up on occasions too. During the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee I dressed up as Her Majesty and stood outside as a way of attracting customers to come into the shop. It’s something that helps raise awareness.
“Age UK is such an important charity and many local older people benefit from the schemes the charity is involved in. We are currently trying to spread the warmth this winter.
“We are asking people to donate a coat that they may no longer need but might make all the difference to keeping an older person warm during the cold months.”
Val Lowe says her mum is one in a million when it comes to volunteering in the Age UK shop.
She said: “She puts so much into her work here and is certainly very popular with our regular customers. She is always trying to raise awareness of the issues that affect older people, such as our Donate a Coat campaign.
“I don’t know how much she had personally raised for Age UK over the years but it runs into thousands of pounds.”
Age UK area sales manager, Sally Hughes, said the charity relies on volunteers such as Shelia to run shops.
She said: “Sheila is extremely generous with her time and, during her time as a volunteer, she has put in many hundreds of hours of voluntary work.
“She is a wonderful ambassador for Age UK and certainly helps raise awareness of the many issues affecting older people in what remain tough economic times.
“She is certainly right to highlight our Spread the Warmth campaign and encourage people to Donate a Coat this winter. We rely on stock donations to keep our shops busy so we can make the money needed to support older local people.
“Sheila works two full days a week. However, we’d love to have more people willing to volunteer in our shops even if it’s just for a few hours a week.
“Anyone who would like to know more, or who has items to donate, can call into the Age UK shop in Watergate Street and Val Lowe, the shop manager, will be only to happy to give details.”
