… beyond the visible roles like serving at the till or in the café. After working for almost 10 years on the community shop floor, Irene Sabin has a new responsibility. “In a month’s time I’ll be 88,” says Irene, “and my joints are now so painful with rheumatoid arthritis.” She lists most of the joints in her body. “But my mind is fine!” We are delighted that Irene has taken on a new and important task: checking the Best Before dates on our deliveries. She is part of a team which comes in regularly to keep paperwork up to date. Irene takes the Best Before dates on new products and creates a log book which can then be checked against products by other volunteers. “It’s the date by which items must be removed from the shelves,” she says. Irene has worked all her life, including a variety of voluntary roles, for instance answering the Samaritans’ phones for 30 years. “When you live alone you need company – and I like volunteering,” she says. We’d like to thank the invisible army of behind-the-scenes helpers who keep our small business running smoothly. And if you’re getting on in years but still have something to offer, please do call us and see what jobs we might have for you. Your Best Before date is yet to come!
