OP SHOP ANNUAL REPORT 2024

Kendall Community Op Shop Inc.

President’s Report

 

Presented at the Annual General Meeting held on Thursday 12th December 2024 

 

Good evening, everyone and welcome.

It gives me pleasure to present to you the Presidents Annual Report for 2024 on behalf of the

Management Committee and myself. I would like to thank everyone for attending tonight’s

Annual General Meeting and for showing an interest in the activities of the Op Shop.

 

Thank you, Allan, for the Financial Report.

 

This evening, I would like to share some of the operational matters

and activities in the life of the Op Shop during the past year.

 

VOLUNTEERS

It is important to start with the Volunteers and Members as they are the Core and the heart of the Op Shop and are the reason the Op Shop functions so well.

Today, the Op Shop continues to thrive and operate so successfully due to the diverse nature of volunteers, whose willingness, multiskilled talent and creativity shines through in all aspects of the Op Shop.

This is due to their willingness to take on new challenges, adapt to necessary changes which are sometimes difficult to accept, and provide creative input for new ideas. We mustn’t forget, however, to factor in resilience., which is 

a necessary function when working day to day with an ever-increasing workload.

 

Operational changes which are made are sometimes necessary. These can be because of Work Health and Safety Guidelines as well as guidelines and directives made by the Government, such as when we had all the restrictions with COVID-19. It can also be in relation to items which are prohibited for sale and others which have Mandatory Checking Standards attached to their sale.

The flow on from this was in the Standards set up by the Government in relation to the sale of many different items, including Car seats, Children’s Cots and  Strollers which had an impact on what we could sell at the Op Shop.

Some volunteers adapt well to this, while others discuss and challenge this on a regular basis, but as a committee, we must balance both the interests and wishes of all volunteers as well as complying with Government Regulations. Even though we are an Op Shop, we are classified as Retail.

Gerda Ashford and I review all the items we can sell on a regular basis and recently we added additional Health Aids, which was positive.

The Volume of Volunteer Work.

The amount of work involved daily, in accepting donated items , processing them for sale, then finally selling them to customers has grown incrementally during the past year.

The year has seen a huge increase in the amount and diversity of donations and has seen a large increase in the workload for volunteers.

 

We extend our sincere thanks to Volunteers and members, in whichever capacity you work or assist in either the day-to-day functioning or other areas of the Op Shop., thank you, you are amazing.

 

SOME MEMBER AND VOLUNTEER STATISTICS 

Currently there are one hundred and four (104) volunteers and members, including several Committee members who work on a rostered Shift or work in an area which does not require shift involvement.

We currently have thirteen couples (13) couples who work or assist at the Op Shop, with another family grouping of six (6) close family members who are all involved in either working shifts or assisting in other ways.

 

Additional Volunteer information.

There are some volunteers who complete specialised tasks at the Op Shop including:

1.Kon Kazoglou who is both the Public Officer for Kendall Community Op Shop and who covers shifts when required working on the Cash Register

2.John Richards and Trevor Boyle carry out Electrical Checks on donated electrical appliances.

3.Col Parker is responsible for the Security Camera.

4.Robyn Bate, in addition to working on a rostered shift, is also the Police Liaison Officer for the Op Shop and communicates with the police on behalf of the Op Shop.

5.Sheridan Summerly, assists in the craft area and prices all the sheet music.

6.Joe Melinz is responsible for emptying recycled items from the Metal Recycling Bin.

7.Bill Jones and Phil Higgins take care of the delivery of the unsaleable clothing items which are cut up for use by Commercial outlets both locally and in Port Macquarie.

8. Robert Rule, Vice President, empties the donation bins three (3) mornings a week to assist the volunteers on these mornings.

9. Many volunteers take items home, to check, mend and do general maintenance, prior to returning.

 

OPERATIONAL AREAS.

 

Security.

All Committee Members on a rostered basis do a security check of the Op Shop on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays to check both the overall security of the Op Shop and to see if any items are left outside.

 

Overall Security of the Op Shop.

Recently there have been some items stolen from the Op Shop. These included 

two expensive handbags, priced at an Op Shop price of $50 each., and a reversing Mirror, for a car.

The handbags had been donated by a volunteer that morning who kept a check to see if they were sold. Unfortunately, it was noticed that the items had disappeared.

Robyn Bate was notified, who as Police Liaison Officer contacted the police.

Tim Preston and Wendy Hudson, both from the Crime Prevention Unit at Port Macquarie Police Unit, visited the Op Shop and undertook a Security Assessment.

Gerda Ashford, who was working at that time and Charles Smith, and myself accompanied them.

Several areas were reviewed and initiatives already undertaken by the Op Shop were said to be positive, including isolating the Sorting Areas and only allowing Volunteers in these areas. 

A suggestion made was to place signs outside Sorting Rooms 1 and 2 indicating Only Volunteers allowed in these areas. This was attended.

The recent procedure of two volunteers working on the Cash Register was seen as a very positive step.

Other areas they suggested involved the use of some Security Cameras, selectively placed.

At no time was the use of Security Cameras discussed or contemplated by the Management Committee in either of the Sorting Rooms. However, there have been rumours to the contrary.

Tim Hudson was invited and met with the Management Committee to further explore security at the Op Shop. Also in attendance were Col Parker, and Sandra Richards who was relieving Gerda Ashford at that time.

At the next Management Meeting, the Committee after discussion, decided not to install Security cameras in the Retail Areas and to continue to monitor any untoward customer behaviour and review the situation again in three (3) months’ time.

It was acknowledged that the safety and security of the volunteers is paramount at the Op Shop and all must stay vigilant.

REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE.

Like all businesses there is a constant flow of activities requiring Repairs and Maintenance 

Robert Rule, who manages this area in conjunction with Michael Ashford who undertakes the day-to-day maintenance, has given me a list of activities undertaken.

Charles Smith looks after Work Health and Safety aspects, with Gerda Ashford the Volunteer Work Health and Safety Representative.

1.The Air Conditioning Units have routine cleaning to assist in providing a safe environment for the Volunteers to work.

2. Pest Control Checks are carried out yearly.

3. Routine Lawn and Garden Maintenance is attended.

4.Routine Cleaning of the premises is attended three (3) times per week to maintain a clean working environment 

5. Additional areas of maintenance undertaken in the past year have been, Maintenance Work on the roof with the replacement of a silicone seal following water penetration from Storm damage.

The hot water system required maintenance to repair the switch to the electrical Hot water system.

A full clean was undertaken of the high windows both internally and externally.

This also included the cleaning of all the rafters in the Sorting Room Area where the working and pricing benches are located, as the area gets very dusty due to the type of activity in this area.

Other day-to-day activities include the constant adjusting of the screen doors, which have a habit of moving off the tracks, which keeps Michael Ashford very busy.

 

CONCEPT PLAN 

Kendall Concept Plan was developed to include the Skate Park and the associated Parking areas. The Skate Park is now operational.

For some time, the Committee have been concerned about the availability of parking for volunteers and customers at the Op Shop.

Despite numerous attempts to contact Port Macquarie to discuss this matter late last year, it was only recently that contact was made.

On 29th October 2024, Robert Rule and Phil Higgins met with Brendon Seed ,and Councilor Nik Lipovac at the Office of Leslie Williams, Local State Member to discuss the matter of parking for the Op Shop.

It was suggested at this meeting that the Op Shop carry out a Survey Report and Engineer Design with detailed costings. This is currently being undertaken.

On the 14th November 2024, Robert Rule had a site meeting with Scott Ritter, Surveyor and discussed the proposed additional parking requirements.

The issue of additional parking is ongoing for the Op Shop will continue until we have a satisfactory resolution.

Thank you to Robert and Phil Higgins for all your work and endeavours in this area.

 

KENDALL COMMUNITY OP SHOP AND SUNDAY OPENING.

Recently, a meeting was held between Robert Rule, Naomi Golding and other members of Kendall Community organisations with Luke Hadfield, President of the Camden Haven Chamber of Commerce and seven other Chamber of Commerce members to discuss the clashing of dates for the Kendall Markets and Laurieton Markets.

There will be no change in the Sunday Trading hours or Kendall Community Op Shop.

 

GRANTS SUB COMMITTEE

The Grants Sub Committee for 2024 recommended that several aspects of the Grants Programme should be reviewed.

This was partially undertaken by the Management Committee and included asking for Expressions of Interest from Volunteers and Members. who were interested in joining the Grants Sub Committee.

I am delighted to say that there was interest by some Volunteers wishing to become a member of the Grants Sub Committee.

Joining Phil Higgins, who once again is Coordinator of the Sub Committee is Jenny McGregor, Laureen Bates and Peter Friend, together with Allan Phelps, 

Robert Rule and Diane Pope.

Welcome to all the members of the Grants Sub Committee for 2025.

 

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HELP.

It is always problematic how to recompense someone who is a Volunteer.

However, to do this, we have continued with the High Teas at the wonderful Miss Nellies who looks after us so well.

We also have our yearly Christmas Lunch event when Volunteers are thanked for all their hard work and involvement.

This year saw 86 Volunteers joined together to have lunch and meet socially.

Feedback is that it was a wonderful day, and all enjoyed themselves.

Lucky door prizes included 10 Vouchers for $40 each both for Miss Nellies and Kendall Services & Citizens Club.

Thank you to Casie Baker, Bill Jones and the team from Kendall Services & Citizens Club as well as Robert Rule and Naomi Golding who organized this function. 

Thank you also to Sharon Thompson who gave out the lucky door prize tickets. and the other volunteers who assisted with the table decorations, 

Thank you. once again, to Helena Kuster for the Christmas Bush.

We have also continued the tradition commenced last year of presenting Certificates of Appreciation and Volunteering Years of Service Badges.at the Christmas Lunch which this year were presented by two of our long serving Volunteers, Nita Dunn and Joan Barr.

Congratulations 

Congratulations also goes to Allan Phelps, Treasurer,who was recently awarded the RJ White Volunteer of the Year Award presented to deserving retired employees of the Westpac Bank. 

 

OTHER THANK YOUs 

A big thank you to all those wonderful people who donate items to the Op Shop, which we are able to sell, and we are then able to give back to the Community by the Grants Programme.

ALSO,THANK YOU to those customers who purchase them, thanks so much.

 

Thank you to Kon Kazoglou who graciously accepted the Position of Public Officer when it became vacant, and, for your wise advice recently, many thanks.

 

Thank you to all members of the Management Committee, Robert, Charles, Allan Gerda, Elaine and Naomi for all your hard work during the past year.

Thank you to Charles who filled in as Acting Secretary and to Naomi who joined as a Casual member of the Committee. this year.

Thank you, Robert, who as Vice President has been supportive of my position as President.

Thank you to Allan for the words of some of the Committee Motions., and for all the work you do taking care of the financial matters for the Op Shop.

 

Once again, thank you to all our wonderful Volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure the Op Shop succeeds, not forgetting the Monday afternoon group wherevI work, and especially Ros Haddrick Shift Organiser, who has put up with me being late or not there on occasions.

 

This is my final Presidents Report and I would like to share some personal thoughts.

I have been President for the past three (3) years and have seen and been part many changes and it has been interesting and an honour

.I would like to say, that I would encourage everyone to remember why the Op Shop was initially set up which was to assist the Community. And how far we have come.

Quite some time ago, I was speaking to a volunteer who was one of the original group, when the Op Shop was set up in the Old Bank Building.

She explained that to enable the Op shop to operate, they all raided their cupboards, wardrobes and their husbands’ clothes, to obtain goods to sell. And in the first days, they only had 13 coat hangers to hang clothes on for display, hard to believe now isn’t it?

Their cash register, was a biscuit tin under the front counter for a long time and sometimes they did not have enough money to pay the rent and had to personally contribute money to enable them to do this, or so I was told.

They had a group of about thirty volunteers at that time.

How times have changed to these days, with large premises and facilities.

 

My belief  is that we are all Volunteers with a wealth of experience, either professionally or with rich life experiences which are of huge value. and we should continue to acknowledge and encourage this.

This will value add to the Op Shop.

 

Thank you.

Sheila Ayshford,

President

Kendall Community Op Shop

12th December 2024