So, hi you guys.
I'm just at the donation centre now.
We've had a slow start this morning, but it is a Monday after all, innit?
So, we are planning to get bigger.
We are planning to take on more shops, maybe more donation centres, I don't know.
That's the plan going forward.
So, obviously, as the bigger we get, the more volunteers we get, the more customers we get, the more premises we get, the more paperwork we're generating.
So, I've asked one of our, you know, the more training we need as well.
So, I've asked one of our longest running volunteers to step up into an area manager role.
And then she's going to be coming around the shops and she's going to be checking that everything's being run exactly as I want it, making sure that health and safety's being followed, making sure that nobody's popping doors open with fire extinguishers,
making sure the fire extinguishers are okay, you know, till checks, other stuff.
And working with you to rectify any problems that might come up, because I don't want to lose any staff and I'd rather work with people so that we're all on a level playing field.
We've all got the same training and we're all doing the same thing.
So, we've got a fantastic bunch of volunteers at the moment, absolutely brilliant.
And everybody's really good, everybody's really committed, everybody's doing the training, we're already rolling out.
So, everything is good.
So, we want to keep it like that, but obviously the bigger we get, the more work we're getting, you know, the bigger the donations are getting and the faster me and Jan are processing these donations.
I'll be honest with you, we've processed a lot, a lot of tonnage in the last month or so since we've had this donation.
And we haven't just processed it, we've worked the stock and we've got it back out the door, into the shops where it can be sold, to fundraise.
So, you know, because what we don't want is a situation like we were in Big Risca where it was just being compacted and compacted and compacted.
And I've spoken to the compacting staff and they've been told that, you know, they need to go away.
This is the new process and they need to have a think about it and come back and adhere to it.
Because what we don't want is any of our buildings compacted with stock, we want it shifted out the door as quickly as possible.
Because of the volume of stock that we have in.
So we don't want any nooks and crannies filled up with boxes and boxes of stuff.
It's got to be worked, it's got to go out.
Okay?
Putting it in a box and stacking it in the back of a room somewhere is not working it.
Okay?
Working it is getting it out, getting it sold and pushing it out the door.
So I've asked this lady now, will she step up and take this roll on?
She will be coming out and she will have some forms to complete as well.
While she's out there for my records so that I can prove that these different things has been done, you know, these different compliances have been done.
Or risk assessing whether they need to be redone, re-risk assessed.
Or we need a completely different plan of a situation to deal with any problems that are arising in the stores.
So yeah, that's where we are guys.
I think going into this week you'll see that the training, we've got several different types now of training.
We've got the online training, we have got in-store training, we've got booklet training and we've also got poster training as well.
Okay?
All of this is being rolled out because everybody learn at different rates.
Everybody needs different formats in learning, health and safety, first aid, fire and safety, manual handling.
You know, people are at different levels.
We are quite a diverse employer.
So it's good to have different formats as well.
And all it does is reinforce.
And if, you know, if you go forward into a new career or a new job, you can say to people, well, yes, I've done this training, this training and this training.
So, you know, it's only good in it.
Only good can come of it.
I've tried to get hold of the fire brigade.
I have emailed them.
She's emailed me back to what she wants us to cover.
So we'll probably have a training session for all the staff in the donation centre.
So when we have a training session, we need everybody to get on to the training as quickly as possible, not stopping to do things.
Right?
We need to just get on with it, get the training done and then we can hit the buffet.
Right?
And then we can have a socialise and talk as well.
But when the train is a year, we need to get it done.
So that's the plan going forward.
So we've hit the floor running Monday again, like we usually do.
So yeah, I'm going to be in the donation centre now this afternoon.
I don't know if I can open up the front because they've got a lot to do and they've still got a lot of equipment and what have you here.
So I might do it later if I'm here later.
Yeah, we've been busy all weekend.
That's only trouble when you do early car boots, it takes it out of you really, doesn't it?
Yeah, so I was down there for about six.
So I was on the road by about five foot past C to go down there.
It takes it out of view there, doesn't it?
We do need other people to do fundraising and car boots for us as well, please.
The more people we can get out and about doing car boots, the better.
Or pop up shops or WhatsApp pop up shops, whatever you want to do with your friends and family.
So yeah, give me a shout guys.
