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Volunteer retail assistant

Raise funds to deliver services
Support your community and the work of New Zealand Red Cross while meeting new people and gaining great retail work experience.
Valentina and Hannah2 26.10.2022
Home Volunteer retail assistant

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with us! Please note that all our offices will be closed from 5pm on Friday, 20 December, and will reopen on Monday morning, 6 January 2025. During this time, there may be delays in processing applications. We look forward to welcoming you as soon as possible after reopening.

Note: This role is not available in all locations. Filter by location. If you cannot see your location listed try searching for something different.
This role is urgently needed in your area

Role description

Volunteer in a Red Cross Shop and support our work helping communities both here and overseas. 

Our 50 shops across the country sell mainly second-hand clothing and household items. They provide affordable shopping for the community, funding for our humanitarian work, and support sustainability through recycling unwanted items.   

Your tasks 

Your volunteer role in a Red Cross Shop will include: 

  • Unpacking and sorting goods. 
  • Greeting and serving customers.
  • Restocking and merchandising the shop. 

Volunteer requirements and training 

We need friendly people with good communication skills and a can-do attitude. An eye for design is always a bonus.  

You’ll receive on-the-job training, and we can help you get your Certificate in Retail from Service IQ. This programme is free and available to volunteers who have been with us for 3 months. It takes 6-9 months and can cover Level 2 to Level 4. 

Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW)

  • Make sure your actions (or lack of actions) don’t harm your health, safety and wellbeing, or harm anyone else.
  • Take part in a HSW induction, training, programmes and activities.
  • Follow all instructions given to you about health, safety and wellbeing
  • Follow all NZRC HSW policies, standards and procedures about health, safety and wellbeing.
  • Make sure you have the right training for any activities you are doing.
  • Use personal protective equipment (PPE) for any work activities that may need it to stay safe.
  • If you spot a hazard, or you are involved in an incident or near miss, report this straight away.
Commitment required
Ongoing
Shift duration
4 hours
Shift time
Morning, Afternoon
Min age
15 years
Training
Ongoing
Vetting
  • New Zealand Police – working with children/young people
  • Red Cross pays for volunteer vetting
Apply for this role
To activate the apply button, use the filters above to select a region and location
If you have questions about this role:
Contact us
0800 Red Cross (0800 733 27677)

21 July 2020

Giving back with a smile

It is not an unusual sight for the people along Dalton Street in Napier to run into a lovely lady with a big smile on her face, making her way to the local Red Cross Shop just around the corner onboard a mobility scooter.

Read more

A woman smiling at the camera.

“I love talking to the people, and the camaraderie with the people and with other volunteers.”

Chris Datson, volunteer retail assistant

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