Dannevirke SPCA Op Shop temporarily closed because of lack of volunteers

The Dannevirke SPCA Op Shop has closed until Monday, August 5 because of a shortage of volunteers. Photo / Sue Emeny

A shortage of volunteers has led to a week-long closure of the Dannevirke SPCA Op Shop.

SPCA Centre manager for Central Hawke's Bay Robin Percy, who oversees the Dannevirke and Waipukurau op shops, said the Dannevirke shop would reopen on August 5.

"It's all hands on deck to give the Dannevirke shop manager Dearne McAvoy support so the shop is ready for the re-open," said Percy.

On Saturday, July 20 the Dannevirke News published an article in which McAvoy reported there was a shortfall in volunteer numbers and called on the Dannevirke community to help out.

But Percy said there had been very few takers to the call for help.

"Dearne has been particularly short of volunteers over the school holidays. We've had volunteers off sick, some have gone away on holiday and some have left."

Percy said closing the store for a week would allow time to recruit more volunteers and for staff to have a good clean out of the store which was getting overstocked.

"There is a lot of winter stock in store we want to get out to the community," said Percy.

To do this the store will hold a week-long reopening mega-sale with all stock half-price.

"We are also going to have a lucky dip for discount vouchers which will further reduce the cost of goods and there will also be lucky dips for children containing toys.

"Our goal this coming week is to get more volunteers and the stock sorted out ready for the Mega Sale next week.

"It also means we can get the winter stock out into the community at the best price. For us this is a good news story for both the SPCA and Dannevirke."

During the store's closure McAvoy will be out in the community putting up posters calling for volunteers and speaking to different groups within the town.

The SPCA is installing a new computerised till system in all SPCA op shops at the end of August so this will time well with the new-look launch, said Percy.

"We are all very excited about the reopening."

This minor setback follows a difficult time for the store. In May SPCA area manager Bruce Wills said the store had traded through some difficult months this year and a decision was made to close it, but a group of volunteers had come up with proposal to keep the store operating.

"The volunteers did an amazing job, they turned the shop around after putting in some hard work."

Waipukurau volunteer Catherine Ashby won an award for her work in helping get the store running. She was presented with the Best Op Shop Team Volunteer in the 2019 SPCA Purina Volunteer Awards.

Ashby had come to Dannevirke to help over Christmas and New Year to keep the store open with one other volunteer.

She said it quickly became apparent the store needed some major love to make it the gem she knew it could be.

Since then McAvoy had been appointed to the role of manager, and was looking forward to continuing the good work at the SPCA op shop.