 A Hemel man has swapped his fruit and veg selling skills to set up a profitable online business for local charity, Hospice of St Francis.
Charlie O Toole, 19, from Hemel Hempstead has worked as a supermarket assistant at Waitrose in St Albans for the last two and a half years, but has just launched a new eBay site specialising in books, music memorabilia, records singles and electrical items for the Hospice.
His father, who had been suffering from prostate cancer, passed away in May last year at the Hospice of St Francis, a charity based in Berkhamsted, which provides specialist palliative care for people who are seriously ill.
Charlie, who attended Townsend School in St Albans, wanted to give something back to thank the organisation who had helped support his Dad and his family at a difficult time. As a Partner, or employee of the John Lewis Partnership, he decided to apply for a charity secondment as part of its Golden Jubilee Trust scheme.
Charlie comments, “I am really please to have this opportunity to give something back to the Hospice for what they did for my Dad and my family . I am really enjoying my time here and would like to thank Waitrose, the Golden Jubilee Trust and the Hospice of St Francis for giving me the opportunity.”
Hospice of St Francis Retail Manager, Lin Underwood says, “The Hospice, which has its own eBay shop, needed help to sell many hundreds of books and records that have been donated to raise money for the Hospice. This special project seemed the perfect challenge for Charlie.”
“When Charlie contacted us and explained what he would like to do as part of the Golden Jubilee Trust scheme we were delighted, and jumped at the chance for him to help us! He has spent months researching items and setting up this new specialist site which is now live to purchase from. Some unique children’s books have already been sold and rare vinyl and foreign books have gone online too.”
The Golden Jubilee Trust (GJT) was established as a charity in April 2000 as part of the Partnership’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. Through the charity any Partner, regardless of age, seniority or length of service, can apply for a full- or part-time volunteering secondment with a UK registered charity for up to six months.
The GJT provides innumerable benefits, first and foremost to the charities it supports, by providing them with the resources and skills they need to meet their own objectives in serving the needs of the wider community.
Please visit www.stfrancisbooksandmusic.co.uk
The Hospice of St Francis provides a range of services in the hospice and beyond, for patients and families living with life-limiting illness in Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempsted, St Albans and surrounding villages. To sign up or for further information call 01442 869555 or email fundraising@stfrancis.org.uk. And look at the website for further details www.stfrancis.org.uk |
