On the last day of April, the op shop volunteers piled into a mini bus and headed to Benalla to assess charity stores, and what they offered their communities.
They went to the Vinnies, Salvos, Red Cross and other independent charity shop retailers in Benalla and surrounds.
After each one, the crew of volunteers filled out a questionnaire about which aspects of each shop they wanted to take home with them.
Go Again Op Shop co-ordinator Deb Williamson said the tour was a way to give back to the volunteers while also helping management to figure out ways to improve the Seymour store.
“The volunteers work so hard, so we thought, ‘how can we say thank you?’,” she said.
“We’ve done a few things along the way, and we thought this was a fun thing to do that also incorporated them helping us find ideas, while having fun with it.”
The attendees’ favourite store was the Violet Town Community Op Shop, which had a “beautiful” feel inside following its recent refurbishment.
Ms Williamson said the team “got some really great ideas”, and had a great time doing it.
“The bus tour was amazing. It was such a team-building exercise, and there was so much laughter and fun,” she said.
“The biggest thing I took away from it was just seeing the vibe of (the team).
“It was so much fun. It was just such a beautiful day, and that’s what everyone said.”
Aside from being an enjoyable experience, Ms Williamson said the tour also ensured the volunteers felt like they had an important role to play in the store by having input in its future development.
“They all want to make the shop better, and they all have a role in it,” she said.
“I think that’s really important — for them to feel ownership.
“Having them included in things like this makes them feel valued, and they are very valued.”
Seeing other shops also allowed the team to realise the strengths of their own.
“Our volunteers feel like our shop is beautiful,” Ms Williamson said.
In the future, the Go Again Op Shop volunteers and management are planning on changing how they order their books and developing ideas about how to strengthen the store’s layout.
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