WHAT WE STAND FOR

Sharing the wealth

We are a community group working on a voluntary basis to support the anyone in the community who is in need. Though Godalming is a generally affluent area, this is far from exclusively the case and tends to make this an expensive place with high living costs for all. The Community Store runs on an entirely non-profit basis, seeking donated goods and funds to be able to offer supplies at no cost to those facing difficult times.  

Working with Godalming Town Council

Godalming Town Council (GTC) has been central to the establishment and ongoing support of the Community Store since April 2020. Our volunteer group has worked alongside Council staff for 16 months keeping the Store open, manning the phone and email contact lines, providing premises for us, collecting donationed items and managing all of the finances behind the scenes.

As this first phase of the Community Store’s operations morphs into a volunteer-led model, we are extremely thankful for the ongoing support of the Godalming Town Council in enabling us to continue to operate on a voluntary basis under their umbrella.

We operate under GTC policies, in relation to Data Protection and Health & Safety.  We meet regularly with staff and Councillors to keep them informed of progress through these challenging and ever-changing times.
 

Our volunteer team

Since the Community Store started we have had more than 35 volunteers from different walks of life who have given their time, from a few hours, to some who are still with us over a year later! Our belief is the more diverse the group we can bring in, the more solutions we can find to different problems. Each volunteer has their own unique strengths and every one of them has been fundamental to the successful running of the store. 

Driving, sorting, labelling, stacking, re-stacking, boxing up, date sorting, designing, recruiting, training, inspiring, energising, making the cuppas and mopping the floors. It’s been a busy time!  Without our volunteers it would not have been possible to support so many within our local community. 

In 2021 we were extremely proud of our volunteer team when Penny Rivers  presented us with the Mayor's Volunteer Awards in recognition of “Local people carrying out a voluntary service in Godalming for the benefit of the community of Godalming Town”  

With special thanks 

Grateful thanks to the following organisations who have very kindly donated financially to the Godalming & Villages Community Store:

• Godalming Rotary Club
• Gorringes
• Inner Wheel of Godalming
• Milford Village Fete
• St Nicholas, Compton
• The Caudle Memorial Trust
• The Round Table

Thanks also go to all the private individuals who have and continue to donate to the Community Store – the generosity of the whole community has been outstanding.  Thank you!