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ORPINGTON: Volunteers praise Mary Portas, Queen of Shops
12:24pm Thursday 4th June 2009
VOLUNTEERS have praised the work of Mary Portas after she changed the fortunes of their struggling charity shop.
Save the Children in Orpington High Street invited the business guru, nicknamed Mary Queen of Shops, to run the second-hand store for four months last November.
She planned to turn around the ailing shop by turning her back on useless junk and selling more fashion clothing.
Her new manager Jo Khalef, paid a salary by Save the Children, heads a team of volunteers at the shop.
She said: “Mary was fantastic and I had a lot of respect for her and the decisions she made.
“But I couldn’t have done it with the help of the wonderful volunteers at the shop.”
She claims the shop was making around £900 pounds a week before the transformation but is now raking in £2,000.
The transformation is being shown in a series of TV programmes which started on Tuesaday (June 2).
Ms Khalef said: “Fashion makes money and Mary wanted to move that to the front of the store.
“All the bric-a-bac was moved to the back.
“I loved rummaging through charity shops before I got this job so it was a pleasure and privilege to be involved."
She added: “It was a bit scary at first doing everything in front of the cameras but it was good fun.
“We have certainly been busier since we appeared on the television.
"Of course, all of this makes more money for a very worthwhile charity.”
Volunteer Ron Stubbings has been working at the shop for 12 years.
“There was a lack of co-ordination before Mary arrived,” the 79-year-old said.
“She was a very nice woman but I think she was a bit nervous when she first arrived. The staff took a while to get to know her.
“There was a time when she put a sign up asking us to come to a meeting and one of the volunteers added the word ‘please’ underneath!”
He added: “We’ve learnt it is not worth charging anything for rubbish anymore."
Mary Portas is credited with having turned Harvey Nichols into the fashion giant it is today.
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Your Say YourLondon
antz02, orpington says...
10:06pm Fri 5 Jun 09
Young people now not the same and also what happened to C H A R I T Y??? I went to the shop and to listen to the conversation like a volunteer asking about to charge £10-00 for a dress and the new Manager saying no charge £15-00 because its Laura Ashley I dont think its right at all as the items are donated second hand and also I disagree the way Orpington people were portrayed in the show as mean what right does a charity like this have to do such a thing so low??
I for 1 will no longer support this especialy now its greed and what right is there to pay someone money to manage a charity shop cut your expenses and then lower your prices like the other charity shops. When I was in the shop the Area Manager was there and some others from head office taking bags out I wouldnt mind but the Area Manager bumped into me and no appology. I will now support the other charity shops in the future.
DanR, Halesowen says...
7:41pm Wed 17 Jun 09
Secondly, whats wrong with a charity shop that sells to young people or has young volunteers?!
Thirdly, just because it's a charity shop doesn't mean they have to sell their items for pence - they should sell them for whatever they think is fair and however much that is benefits the charity. £15 is hardly daylight robbery for a dress - it's not GREED, it's a shop selling you an item to make MONEY for charity, how dare you demand they lower their prices to save you money!?
Fourthly, and finally, the manager of a charity shop is there as a full time member of staff - I would assume she has a mortgage to pay - hence why she is paid to do her job. Managers in 99% of charity shops, and certainly the big charities stores, are paid because it's their full time job.
ORPINGTON: Volunteers praise Mary Portas, Queen of Shops
New manager at Save the Children in Orpington High Street, Jo Khalef
Ron Stubbings, 79, said he enjoyed making the TV show
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mumof3sons, orpington says...
9:55am Fri 5 Jun 09