Mind Charity Shop, East Dulwich

[Libbyloo]

I regularly donate to charity and always try to donate to mental health charities as much as possible, however I have never encountered such rude staff as the staff at East Dulwich Mind charity shop. I don't appear to be the only person that has encountered the hostile reception from the staff there as many of my friends in the area have started donating elsewhere for that reason. It seems such a shame that the charity should suffer because of this but I must admit, I now feel the same and will start donating to alternative charity shops in the area.

[missse22]

Same here, staff rude and very ungrateful for the lovely donations.

As if the incident wasn't bad enough when management told a lady off for breastfeeding in the changing room

As apparently the breast milk was stinking out the shop or something?!?!

[missse22]

Here is the article!! Disgusting

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1255257/Manager-sprayed-air-freshener-I-started-breast-feeding-charity-shop.html

[KidKruger]

I've always assumed that being a mental health charity with volunteers (potentially ex or current patients) from that field I shouldn't take it too personally when any engagement doesn't meet my usual criteria of 'acceptability'.

[NewWave]

I actually have experienced nothing but friendly lovely service in that shop.

Usually by a guy with lots of silver rings.

I have both brought and donated and find it much more fairly priced than the 'Marys' shop.

I hate the idea of people chosing not to donate to a charity because they have beef with the volunteers.

Its unproductive and selfish to do so.

I've found plenty of surly rubbish staff in charity shops (For instance a lady in the local Oxfam where I used to live who used to treat everyone like a potential shoplifter) But if I believe in the cause I still give.

Most are volenteers and as stated by myself earlier-because you may have had a negative experience with a staff member there are others such as myself who haven't (actually as well as the guy with the rings theres also a middle aged lady who has always been friendly and charming to me.)

I feel naming and shaming a local CHARITY shop on a public forum is pretty damn shameful tbh.

[Libbyloo]

Online 'forum'... the clue is in the title. The response to this and the daily mail report has only confirmed to me that there is no excuse at all for such rudeness. The charity won't suffer as I will still donate to Mind, but not to that particular shop.

[alice]

That was 10 years or more ago hardly relevant now

[Sue]

Why drag up something from years ago?

I have always found the people in there friendly and helpful.

But even if they weren't - yes it's a mental health charity and quite likely some of the volunteers may have mental health issues.

Cut them a bit of slack, eh?

C

[Elphinstone's Army]

Libbyloo Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Online 'forum'... the clue is in the title. The

> response to this and the daily mail report has

> only confirmed to me that there is no excuse at

> all for such rudeness. The charity won't suffer as

> I will still donate to Mind, but not to that

> particular shop.

'

The other clue in the title is East Dulwich - as you live in Crystal Palace,

perhaps you could donate locally, n'est-ce pas?

[missse22]

alice Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> That was 10 years or more ago hardly relevant now

What was 10 years ago? The breast feeding incident was 6 years ago, I remember it clearly as I was a breast feeding mother at the time.

[Sue]

And six or ten years ago, it is relevant now because ....?

Mind is a mental health charity.

If you don't want to donate items to Mind then fair enough - there are lots of other worthy charities, many of which have shops - but it seems a bit sad (in the unhappy sense of sad) not to do so because some of the staff/volunteers there don't meet your expectations of how they should behave.

As said above, some of them are likely to have, or to have had in the past, or to be recovering from, mental health issues.

Were they actually "hostile " as the OP says, and if so in what way?

Or did they just not welcome the donations with over-effusive thanks in gratitude for your wonderful kindness in choosing to give them to their shop?

I usually take my unwanted items to the Hospice shop, but I leave them by the door to the inner sanctum, tell a volunteer I've left them there, and leave. I don't expect a blooming great burst of gratitude in return.

ETA: And in the case of some kinds of donations, they are overrun with them. I imagine their heart sinks on seeing more books or CDs, for example.

[mrure26]

n'est ce pas