Meet Rachel | USPCA Charity Store Manager

Rachel is a key player within the USPCA team, managing operations of our first ever Charity Store in Banbridge! Joining us over two years ago, Rachel did a fantastic job of launching the store and has, with the help of her staff and dedicated volunteering team, been keeping it in tip-top shape ever since! Say hello to Rachel:

How long have you been working with the USPCA?

I have been with the USPCA for just over two years.

What drew you towards working for the USPCA?

I was always aware of the charity as we rehomed our dog 13 years ago from the USPCA.  I had been in Charity retail for almost 10 years when the vacancy came up and it was an amazing challenge to set up the first ever store for the Charity.  It’s an opportunity that doesn’t come along often as there are so many established charity stores in Northern Ireland.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Our day has changed dramatically in the face of Covid and simple tasks now take that little bit longer. As soon as I come in I take care of any messages on our answering machine. Then I look at what stock is ready to come out of quarantine – due to Covid, all donations are quarantined for 72 hours. We’re very lucky to have some great volunteers at our store and in the mornings, I give them a rundown of the day and what needs to be done. Generally the rest of the day involves a lot of sorting of stock, pricing, and moving items on to the shop floor. After a long day of work you may then catch us with a cuppa and something sweet. After our doors closed for the day we carry out a full Covid clean and tidy up.

What is your favourite part of your role as Charity Store Manager?

I love the variety of people I meet, be that our lovely customers or volunteers. Every day is truly different!

Do you have any pets of your own?

Unfortunately we recently lost our dog that we rehomed through the USPCA which has left a big hole. We will rehome again when the time is right but in the meantime we have two cats and four chickens which keep us busy.  

We see many animals / stories / events here at the USPCA – are there any that have stuck out in your mind / been a favourite?

Because we are a small team here at the USPCA, you could be called on at any time to give a helping hand with something! During different periods of lockdown last year the USPCA was unable to rehome animals and so, there were lots of animals needing some temporary loving homes. My family and I fostered a dog called Charlie who was larger than life and kept us active during lockdown. It was great to see that he went to a loving home after were opened.