Meet the Co Down woman who switched jobs to dedicate time to local charities –

During the pandemic, thousands of people found they were laid off and not working for the first time in their lives.

For many, the transition was difficult as they struggled to make ends meet. Some started a business, others continued their hobby, others left time for a good cause.

However, after the restrictions were lifted, most people have returned to their jobs, at least those who were lucky still have that option.

But one woman found that what she did to fill out her lonely days was actually what she wanted to do full time, and so she continued her passion.

Fiona Anderson, of Hollywood, Co-Down, had a successful career in communications, but volunteering for her local charity, Oxfam, changed that.

She told Be: “My friends and family call me Recycling Queen because I’m constantly talking to people about recycling and sustainable living because it’s so important to me.

I was working in telecommunications and there was a pandemic last year and I was released for several weeks.

“I didn’t know what to do with myself, I’ve worked for 14 years, so I joined my local Oxfam and became a volunteer.

“I volunteered there when I was in school for a few years with my best friend and decided to come back for more free time.

“I absolutely fell in love with her – amazing team of people, amazing cast of characters of all ages – our oldest volunteer is 94! From 16 to 94 you have all these different experiences, experiences and interests.”

Fiona has been able to use her skills in an area where most charity stores are crumbling.

He said: “I am an expert in digital marketing and have worked with AIB, Dale Farm, large corporations and social media companies in the past and have been able to use it at Oxfam.

“Many charities will lose the strategic communication approach that many other retailers are already doing.

“So I created an Instagram page and from there it grew really fast and it was organic growth when I was used to working with clients with high budgets.

Suddenly we realized the great demand. Charity stores fail to promote themselves individually and there has been a huge gap in the market to publicize what we have in store to attract people who would not attract a traditional charity store.

“With the fact that there was a pandemic, a lot of people were really addicted to money and were looking for a new place to shop.

“I think we’ve all re-evaluated what’s important to us and that will change our attitude towards charity shopping and all of this will work to our advantage.

“Now we have a really loyal following, from environmental warriors to fashionistas and people who are just out there for work. It was great.”

And Fiona enjoyed volunteering so much that she made an important decision when she showed up for a full-time job at the store.

He said: “I’m finally back at work, but I felt like my heart was in Oxfam. I was still volunteering on weekends, but I missed the shop and the people.

Then the guys told me I was in the store manager position and I was wondering if I was interested in taking an order, so I did and I accepted and I haven’t looked back since!

“I left my job before Christmas and was busy collecting a lot of high quality items when we opened it a few weeks ago.

“We had the highest sales in Ireland since opening day of all the shops in the city center and this is due to the quality of the merchandise. We have been open for a few weeks and we are going strong. Once again we had the highest sales last week.”

Fiona said this is a really exciting time for her store and for charities in general and she urged anyone considering volunteering or working in the industry not to think twice before doing so.

He said: I have a lot of plans for the shop. Now everyone is behind the sustainable fashion movement and we’re excited about it because it has never been more important. It’s a change of situation and it was great to be a part of it for a little bit.

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“I’m not a traditional charity store manager, I’ve had a promising communications career that has gone well, but a lot has changed for me in the past year.

“It was captivating and makes you understand what’s important. I now have a great work-life balance because the shop opens at 10am and closes at 5pm so I can be home in minutes where I live and spend locally with a partner, I worked late and carried work in the home.

“It’s about setting priorities and doing what you love.

There is a lot of creativity in this case. Another thing I didn’t know much about was how important a charity shop is in people’s lives, especially in small towns.

“People have really fought because of the lockdown, they have had no such social interaction and I am often told that I am the only person they spoke to today.

“We have customers in the store every day and it is great to see that we also have volunteers with different psychological problems and people who do not have enough skills for their CV and it is very good to develop these skills in young people. People have watched their growth and prosperity. I did not appreciate how important this is to people.

“We will soon be looking for an assistant manager in the store 3/4 days a week. So if anyone is interested in joining us on this wonderful journey, be sure to keep your eyes peeled.”

You can follow the store via Instagram.