The history of...

It was a good idea, or rather, I should say: it is a good idea. The giveaway shop is doing better and better, and the quality of the items is improving too.

Anyone who thinks there’s nothing to do in a giveaway shop, because every customer can simply put whatever they need into their bag, is mistaken. Goods come in and they need to be checked. Technical equipment is checked and tested, clothing is checked and repaired, and the same applies to toys, household items, crockery, shoes, CDs, DVDs and books. We also check that there are no personal items in bags or amongst the goods, such as a farewell note or money. These are always returned to the donor. And there is a whole administrative process behind this too, and it takes a lot of time to organise everything. This means that there is a whole army of volunteers working behind the scenes, because everything has to be stored in the shop, which must also look cosy and tidy. So it’s not just a case of throwing everything into a pile and letting anyone looking for something pull it out of the pile.

And then, of course, there are the conditions that must be met and the rent that has to be paid, as well as water, gas and electricity. And how do you pay these fixed costs when everything you give away is free?

Such an organisation relies on donations and volunteers who aren’t paid a penny, not even a volunteer allowance.

On top of that, it’s also mandatory to have a board, because it’s a foundation, a non-profit organisation (indeed, only very large foundations are filthy rich and do pay their bigwigs).

And who wants to sit on a board these days? There aren’t many, and as soon as a board member drops out (due to illness or fatigue), it’s difficult to find new board members. Generally speaking, the best helmsmen stay on shore and have no desire to roll up their sleeves.

It is astonishing how the lack of just a few people is the reason why a very good initiative like a charity shop ceases to exist. A shop that not only helps people on very low or average incomes to get hold of everyday items, clothes, gifts – you name it – but also doesn’t ask you to prove you really have no money to buy anything by filling in dozens of forms and giving access to your finances. Literally everything gets a second life. How good is that for the environment and your wallet?

Meanwhile, the charity shop 4noppes is short of volunteers willing to work in the shop. Even three hours a week seems to be too much to ask, and board members are also needed. There were recently two new board members, but they have stepped down because this would jeopardise their jobs. To be honest, I wouldn’t know how, as these kinds of board roles are certainly not a round-the-clock job. And believe it or not, holding online meetings or even circulating an agenda with items and asking for opinions is also an option. Meetings don’t have to last for hours. Yes, of course a treasurer is needed too, but that isn’t a full-time job either; after all, no salaries are paid, no volunteer allowances, but what comes in does need to be accounted for (hopefully these are donations used to cover the fixed costs. Fixed costs that are kept as low as possible, because the shop has no bins, uses hardly any gas or electricity, and water consumption is minimal as rainwater is used and the chair does the laundry at her home.) and paid.

I am very curious to hear what the sticking points are when it comes to being a board member, but also why people no longer want to be volunteers. How is it that everyone wants to reap the full benefits of what Generation X has built up, but doesn’t want to contribute themselves?

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29-4-2026}