Andrea’s Volunteering Story 13 February 2022 When Andrea Meany popped in to our Banchory boutique to buy a jacket she’d spotted in the window, little did she know she’d be leaving the shop as a volunteer! ? Andrea noticed a sign saying the boutique was looking for volunteers, so she signed up there and then on the Saturday and was volunteering by Monday morning. ? One of the reasons Andrea chose to support us was because her mother-in-law sadly passed away following two strokes, aged just 62. “It had an effect on us all because she was such a vibrant person, but she lost her speech and never really got it back,” explains Andrea. “I like the camaraderie in the shop, and I love being on the shop floor and on the till. “I’m an enhanced volunteer so I can be left to get on with things, like refunds. I know what I’m doing. That is my favourite thing. I do the mannequins, faffing and changing things round!” ??? Andrea and her husband had returned to Banchory after several years living abroad, and found that many of their old friends had moved away. Andrea says volunteering has helped her confidence and she enjoys keeping busy and meeting new people. “It was October 2018 and I’d been thinking about how I’d get through the winter and what I might do with my time. And that was that. I’ve been there ever since. “Oh and I did buy the jacket. It’s still in my wardrobe.”