28/08/13 Thame volunteer in national Charity Retail Association Awards

MARK Thorne from Thame has been highly commended in the Young Volunteer of the Year award at this year’s national Charity Retail Association Awards.

Mark started volunteering with the Helen & Douglas House shop in Thame over five years ago. Shop Manager, Debbie Sharp, who nominated Mark for this prestigious award, said: “Mark was a very pleasant young man, although rather shy and with no retail training, but that didn’t stop him ‘diving in’ and picking up all the skills needed to be an excellent team member. Mark has gained two NVQS while volunteering at our shop in Thame. His attention to detail has earned him credit with the management, and he is a joy to have around.”

After the training and earning his NVQs with Helen & Douglas House, Mark went on to successfully apply for a job with the Co-op in Thame, which involves handling money and using the till, and sometimes running their in-store café. 

Mark still volunteers in the Helen & Douglas House shop on his days off. The award came as a surprise for the 23 year old, because he had no idea that he had even been nominated until being presented with the certificate by Debbie.

Debbie added: “We would be hard pushed to manage without his smile, his funny jokes, and his willingness to help everyone around him. He has also helped many new volunteers settle into our Thame shop because of his vast knowledge of what we do here.”

If you are interested in volunteering, you can pop into the shop in Upper High Street, Thame, and speak to Debbie Sharp, or email: fundraising@helenanddouglas.org.uk