First Minister tries his hand volunteering with Barnardo’s for the Big Help Out

Shoppers at the Barnardo’s charity store in Pontypridd spotted a familiar face behind the counter when First Minister Mark Drakeford called in to meet some of its dedicated volunteers.

The First Minister was visiting as part of the Big Help Out which has encouraged six million people across the UK to mark the Coronation by giving up time to help others. Around 33,000 organisations have signed up and among the volunteers were members of the Royal Family including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children.

So just two days after witnessing the new king being crowned at Westminster Abbey, Mr Drakeford was in a basement in Pontypridd discovering the behind the scenes work that goes into a successful charity shop.

Mr Drakeford, who worked as a project leader for Barnardo’s in Ely 30 years ago, revealed that on his very first day in the job his coat was accidentally sold in a community jumble sale for just 10p. “It wasn’t such a professional operation as here,” he joked.

The shop has a 30 strong team of people who deliver an average of 160 volunteer hours each week. They range from teenagers studying their Welsh Baccalaureate or completing a Duke of Edinburgh Award to retirees like Julie Foxhall.

She said: “I’ve been volunteering for Barnardo’s for 15 years and I love it. It’s the people, the customers are really nice and it’s just such a nice place to work.”

Emma Clift, 15 months into volunteering, agreed. “Volunteering is really good for your wellbeing and you get to give something back. Our manager Cath is brilliant and there’s a nice feeling in the shop.”

Mr Drakeford was able to see pictures of how the shop was left underwater in the 2020 floods but was able to reopen within two days, thanks to the efforts of the volunteers.

He said: “Wales has more volunteers than pretty much any part of the country and it’s good to draw attention to the incredible job they do, practical, everyday things.”

Manager Cath Williams said: “It was lovely to have the First Minister here. I am very proud of the shop and the team, so it was a really nice way to show off all their hard work. Our volunteers have had their own successes too, with some going on to become paid employees within Barnardo’s.

“We are very fortunate to have so many volunteers but we are always looking for more and there is no minimum requirement on time, some people come in once every couple of weeks for instance. We can find a task for everyone and if you have a hobby or interest, we’ll find just the right one for you. As Mark likes his books we’d be happy to find him a job sorting books if he wants to come back anytime!”

Sarah Crawley, Director of Barnardo’s Cymru, said: “We are absolutely delighted the First Minster chose to give up his time to volunteer with us. Our volunteers are an indispensable part of Barnardo’s, without them we wouldn’t be able to carry out much of the valuable work we do in communities across Wales.

“Our volunteers are essential to keeping our shops open and fundraise in many other ways too. They also provide a wealth of support in our children’s services and we are grateful to every one of them.

“Volunteering can be very rewarding and beneficial. It can be a way of making friends, a first step to a career or return to work, or chance to build confidence and skills. We would love to hear from anyone who would like to follow the First Minister’s example and try it for themselves.”

More details about volunteering with Barnardo’s can be found on its website www.barnardos.org.uk.