JOIN ME AT A LATE-NIGHT CHARITY SHOPPING EVENT WITH ST OSWALD’S HOSPICE

“Generosity is the most natural outward expression of an inner attitude of compassion and loving-kindness.”

Dalai Lama

At the end of January this year, the wonderful charity St Oswald’s Hospice opened a brand-new store in Blyth, Northumberland. I was so excited with this news because I actually volunteered for the charity’s Communications and Marketing Department from December 2019 until February 2023 as a Digital Volunteer. I also completed two temporary contracts with them, one as a Communications and Marketing Assistant and the other as Kickstart Project Coordinator. So, needless to say, I’m very dedicated, supportive and passionate about the charity and all that they do. So, I wanted to tell you about their Alternative Christmas List Appeal, which is their Christmas Campaign. It is aimed at providing insight into the various impacts that different figures of donations can have on the charity, the Hospice specifically, and their patients. For example, £150 will fill the Christmas Eve boxes for the children who use the Hospice’s Services, and £450 will fund thirty bereavement sessions at a time of year when loss can hurt that little bit differently…

For more details: Support our Alternative Christmas List Appeal | St Oswald’s Hospice

If you know me, you’ll know that I’m also very passionate about shopping! So, when I was told about the Late-Night Shopping Event at the Blyth St Oswald’s Hospice store, I jumped at the opportunity of attending and thought that, for the fun of it, I’d bring you all along with me…

COME TO A ST OSWALD’S HOSPICE SHOP WITH ME | PLUS A LOOK AT ALL MY PURCHASES | IN COLLABORATION WITH ST OSWALD’S HOSPICE

“Whoever said that money can’t buy happiness, simply didn’t know where to go shopping.”

Bo Derek

I was once a Digital Volunteer with St Oswald’s Hospice for four years (with a few temporary contracts with their Communications and Marketing team throughout that time), when I spotted their new store just minutes from my home, I was almost instantly inspired to put together some content centred around it! Probably something which helped me to think of the idea so quickly was that I’m genuinely a huge fan of shopping too (as you may have seen in our Collaboration Teaser; which you can read here)! So, this is sort of a dream collaboration for me(!) and I really hope you like it just as much as I have enjoyed creating it…

A COLLABORATION TEASER: WHY IT’S OK TO REWARD YOURSELF | COME ONLINE SHOPPING WITH ME ON WARDOW

“Shopping is a way of life. It’s the way I treat myself.”

Sarah Jessica Parker

As you might know from a two-part series (part one is here and part two is here) I published recently with St Oswald’s Hospice, I’ll be working on a huge collaboration with the charity that will be published on July 15^th 2024 and you’ll – hopefully! – be excited to know that across these three weeks prior to that, I’ll be publishing a couple of ‘Collaboration Teasers!’ With a huge part of the St Oswald’s Hospice collaboration being centred around the opening of the charity’s new retail store in Blyth (you can find all the details of that store here), I thought I’d make these Collaboration Teasers themed on retail and, more specifically, online shopping! So, for this Collaboration Teaser, I’ll be chatting through why it’s absolutely fine to reward yourself and then there’ll be some bits of my shopping on Wardow scattered throughout…

PART TWO: BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF CREATING A COLLABORATION BRIEF | WITH ST OSWALD’S HOSPICE

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.”

Stephen King

*This is the second part in the two-part series, you can read part one here *

Earlier this year, I spotted the new St Oswald’s Hospice (SOH) store around ten/fifteen minutes from my home, and having volunteered for the Hospice as a Digital Volunteer for around four years (including a couple of temporary contracts; with one being Kickstart Project Coordinator and the other being Communications and Marketing Assistant), I got in touch with the lovely Head of Communications and Marketing, and pitched the idea of collaborating. When she said she liked the sound of it, she introduced me to the Retail Communications and Marketing Officer, and after a few more emails, I was asked to write a brief for the collaboration…

PART ONE: BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF CREATING A COLLABORATION BRIEF | WITH ST OSWALD’S HOSPICE

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.”

Stephen King

*This is part one of a two-part series. Keep your eyes peeled for the second post!*

Earlier this year, I spotted the new St Oswald’s Hospice (SOH) store around ten/fifteen minutes from my home, and having volunteered for the Hospice as a Digital Volunteer for around four years (including a couple of temporary contracts; with one being Kickstart Project Coordinator and the other being Communications and Marketing Assistant), I got in touch with the lovely Head of Communications and Marketing, and pitched the idea of collaborating. When she said she liked the sound of it, she introduced me to the Retail Communications and Marketing Officer, and after a few more emails, I was asked to write a brief for the collaboration…

THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYMENT, TEAMWORK & ADVICE ON SUPPORTING LONELY COLLEAGUES | MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK: DAY FOUR | IN COLLABORATION WITH ST OSWALD’S HOSPICE

“There is immense power when a group of people with similar interests gets together to work toward the same goals”

Idowu Koyenikan

Welcome to day four of Mental Health Awareness Week, today I’m collaborating with St Oswald’s Hospice to bring you this piece about how colleagues and working as a team can help with thoughts and feelings of loneliness…

My first real ‘job’ was with a huge high-street retail store and in all honesty, it was a really bad first impression of working life (hence why I’m not naming them!). I originally started as Christmas temporary staff but was kept on when the season ended and in deciding to renew my contract, they decided to train me to do a specific role in the store. It was a role where – on a good day – it would take three staff to maintain it… But most days weren’t ‘good’ and I was often left to man the position alone. So that it was just me doing the job of three.

The other challenge I experienced in the role, was that all the staff on the tills had a bell where you could ring a specific number of times and it would signal something different to the rest of the staff. The third option for the number of rings would signal the security guards and the ability to do this was something I didn’t have because there was no bell at the place, I worked in. This obviously wouldn’t have bothered me if I didn’t think I needed it anyway; but I did. I mean, the number of complaining and abusive customers I got… Well, I would have felt a whole lot more reassured and comfortable if I’d been able to call for help!