Finding your feet on placement

Not every volunteer arrives confident. Some come through placement schemes or support plans that say: build structure before you build CV lines. SHAX has learned to meet people there—clear tasks, reasonable hours, and work that matters without pretending it is therapy.

A typical journey might start with sorting lightweight homeware: mugs, plates, small donations that need checking before they can stock shelves or pack crates. Supervisors watch for pace, attendance, and what someone enjoys—not everyone wants customer-facing shop work immediately.

Progress is practical. Can you turn up on time two weeks running? Can you follow hygiene rules around bedding? Can you ask for help when a piece of furniture is too heavy? Those answers matter more than heroic one-off shifts.

Meanwhile the charity gains reliable hands on unglamorous jobs. Packs do not assemble themselves; donation streams do not sort overnight.

Placements are not unlimited—space, supervision, and safeguarding cap how many people can be onboarded at once. If you are enquiring for yourself or a service user, start via shax.org.uk.

If you cannot volunteer but want the same outcome—more capacity at Merrick House—local giving pays for staff time that keeps placements safe and packs moving.