Clearing the clutter or keen to volunteer? Look no further than your local Oxfam shop!

Your donations and time are needed more than ever.

On Monday 17 May, Oxfam shops across the Island of Ireland opened their doors for business. Since then, their top priority has been new volunteers and of course, your pre-loved donations.

Caroline Reid, Communications Manager with Oxfam Ireland, says: “We are calling on people to bag up their donations of pre-loved clothes, accessories and bric-a-brac. We also have a number of specialised shops including Oxfam Books, Oxfam Furniture and Oxfam Bridal, so people can donate anything from a bookshelf to a wedding dress.

“The reality is, after more than two months of closure – your donations are needed more than ever. Our shops play a vital role in raising much-needed funds for our work globally – they are central to ensuring we can continue to protect and support some of the most vulnerable communities in the world."

Volunteers play a vital role in Oxfam’s work globally, while also providing a solution to throwaway fashion by saving items from ending up in landfills here at home. By giving a little of their time and creativity, each one makes a huge difference in support of some of the most at-risk communities in the world, while helping our planet a little along the way.

Caroline added: “I would encourage anyone interested in lending some time at our shops to make an application through our online portal - people can give as little or as much time as they like, and we provide full training. Beyond day-to-day retail duties there are a variety of activities that people can help with from visual merchandising (for anyone with a creative flare for designing window displays) to social media (crafting engaging posts for digital channels).