Linen Hall Charity Bookshop Volunteer

Linen Hall Charity Bookshop Volunteer

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We are looking for Volunteers for for shifts in The Linen Hall Charity Bookshop with retail experience. For our new bookshop in Royal Avenue which will be open Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm.
Also for our stall at St George’s Market Friday 8am to 2pm, Saturday 9am to 3pm & Sunday 10am to 4pm.

The Linen Hall 

The Linen Hall, an independent subscription library was founded in May 1788 as the Belfast Reading Society by a group of “worthy artisans.” As the city of Belfast grew larger, the Society’s ranks were added to by the merchant classes and it was renamed the Belfast Library & Society for Promoting Knowledge with the mission statement: “The object of this society is the collection of an extensive library, philosophical apparatus and such productions of nature and art as tend to improve the mind and excite a spirit of genuine enquiry…”

More recently the Linen Hall adopted the following mission statement:

“The Linen Hall aims to increase knowledge and understanding both locally and internationally, by collecting, curating, conserving and providing access to an historic library with its associated artefacts, and a cultural centre, all with unique strengths in Irish and local studies.”

The Linen Hall welcomes voluntary help.

We welcome the participation of volunteers in our work and will do our best to ensure that the time you spend with us is effective for us and also contributes to your own personal development and fulfilment.

Working in The Linen Hall Charity Bookshop how you'll spend your time with us

Volunteering in our charity bookshop is varied, exciting and rewarding. No two days are the same and you have the chance to flex different skills regularly. 

Below is a flavour of some of the tasks you may help with in our charity bookshop: 

Serving at the till to process those all-important sales of books, records, DVDs &CDs.

Rotating stock, sorting, streaming and pricing donations.

Selling and adding stock to our online bookshop which is in development and processing the sales.

Talking to our customers and making them feel welcome.

Housekeeping and tidying window displays to keep the shop looking it's best.

This list is not exhaustive and you may have particular specialist skills which we can readily find particular uses for. Otherwise we will try to match your skills with our needs.

Skills/experience needed:

• Retail experience
• To be interested in books and literature
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• To be organised and methodical
• Autonomous
• Ability to listen well and take instructions
• Overview and attention to details
• The ability to get along with people and work as part of a team
• Basic numeracy skills
• Ability to work a till and record transactions
• Basic/intermediate IT skills desirable

These guidelines are designed to help you if you would like to volunteer for us.

There are a number of points that you should consider when you become a volunteer, and to help you we have listed some of these below.

Time Involved

Before making commitments, you should be reasonably certain that you can give whatever time is required.  Sometimes this will be one day or morning, sometimes four or five days per week for a short defined period, or for an indefinite time-span.

When you start with the Linen Hall we will enter into a firm agreement with you as to the amount of time per week you will spend with us and the duration of your engagement.

Your engagement with us is voluntary and you may terminate it when you so desire. We would, however, be grateful for reasonable notice of termination and ideally not less than one week.

We may terminate the arrangement on the same basis. 

Tasks Involved

It is useful to be clear from the beginning why you are involved, what you can expect and what is expected of you.

We will at the outset provide an initial definition of your role and any training required.

On the basis of experience this may alter and, or develop, in which case we will monitor the changed role.

Responsibilities

You will be responsible to the Volunteer Co-Ordinator. All volunteers will have a named member of Linen Hall staff as their main point of contact, relevant to the type of work being undertaken.

Confidentiality

It is vital that you maintain appropriate standards of confidentiality with regard to information that may become known to you while working with us.

Regular Attendance

It will be possible to arrange your work according to the hours you wish to give, but reliability (including good time-keeping) will be expected. If for any reason you cannot attend when expected please contact your named staff member.

Insurance

Whilst working with us, you will have the same insurance cover that is provided for members of staff.

Health and Safety

If you have any medical condition of which we need to be aware please notify us. This information will be kept confidential.

Your health and safety comes first. If you have any concerns about the health and safety aspects of any work, you must seek advice before undertaking it. This applies in particular to lifting, for example, boxes of books or use of any unfamiliar equipment.

Evacuation Procedures

On commencement you will be provided with a copy of our evacuation procedure. Full training in evacuating the building will also be given.

Expenses

You will not receive pay whilst working with us. You will be entitled to reasonable expenses as set out below, but only when these are necessarily incurred during your working hours:

(1)   Travel

If you do not use your own car, you will be reimbursed all costs incurred in using public transport.  If you use your own car, you will be paid the current mileage allowance. Rates are available from the Finance Manager, via your Supervisor.

(2)   Claims

You will be required to keep a detailed record of all expenses incurred and to submit to the relevant Supervisor a claim form in respect of these expenses, accompanied by receipts.  Expenses cannot be paid unless this procedure is followed.

Social Security Benefits

Volunteering should not affect any social security benefits to which you are entitled, but to be absolutely certain about your position, you should check with your local DHSS office before committing yourself to voluntary work with us.  You should also advise your local DHSS office you are undertaking voluntary work.

Preparation/Induction

All volunteers receive an introductory tour of the Linen Hall and its facilities and will be introduced immediately to the member of staff they will be working most closely with.

Support/Training

All volunteers need some support and this may come in a variety of ways and from different people. If you are uncertain or unhappy in your given role, please let your named staff person know as soon as possible.   

Relationships between Volunteers and Paid Staff

We support good practice in volunteer/paid staff relationships.  The following sets out good practice guidelines for the guidance of volunteers, which we fully subscribe to:

(1)   Voluntary work should complement the work of paid staff, not substitute for it.

(2)   Volunteers should be treated with equal respect to paid staff.

(3)   The engagement of volunteers, while of benefit to the Linen Hall  should also enable their own personal development.

(4)   Volunteers should not normally receive financial reward (other than reasonable out-of-pocket expenses).

(5)   Paid staff should be made aware of all proposed volunteer involvement.  Any changes in the level or extent of voluntary work should be preceded by full consultation amongst interested parties.

(6)   Volunteers wishing to raise any complaint or grievance should in the first instance do so with the Volunteer Co-Ordinator. If not resolved at that level they may then have recourse to a member of the Senior Management Team.

(7)   In the event of industrial action in the workplace, volunteers should not be required to undertake more voluntary work than they would do in normal circumstances.

(8)   Volunteers should not cross a picket line which objects to their attendance or presence.

Finishing Voluntary Work

If you find a permanent job or for some other reason wish to stop volunteering, we would appreciate as much notice as possible of your intentions and not less than one week’s notice.  If you do not find the particular project in which you are involved satisfactory, it may be possible to arrange alternatives.   

Tasks and responsibilities

• Making Customers feel welcome in the shop, advising and helping them to have a positive experience in a tidy and clean shop
• Processing sales through the till and recording transactions
• Adding stock to our online bookshop and processing orders -
• Helping with sorting of donated goods (books, CDs, DVDs & records), pricing and preparing for sale

Skills acquired: Communication Skills, Customer Service, E-commerce, English as a Secondary Language (ESL), Interpersonal Skills, Inventory Management, Learning Difficulty Aide, Literacy/Reading, Merchandising, Retail, Sales Process, Stock / Inventory Management, Teamwork