We are having an over 65’s Christmas Lunch (£5 per person) on Saturday 16th of December 12pm-2pm, please book by texting 07491383441 ASAP as we have limited space and these events are very popular and run out of space after one day!
We are delighted to announce that we have won the ‘Alloa 2023’ window dressing competition from ‘Alloa First’.
The brief was ‘Christmas’ so we created three windows that showcases our varied stock and the imaginations of the Staff, Volunteers and Trustees. With a nod to a traditional Christmas, the window is captivating and interesting with toys, plush textiles and contrasting lighting.
Well done to the team, what an excellent start to our first Christmas in our new shop at 69 Mill Street FK10 1DX.
Our Christmas Market was a great success today, it was very well attended and we even had a special visit from Santa!
We will be having our Christmas Market on Saturday 10am-2pm, come along and have a look at all of the exciting stalls we have!
If you buy something at our café (2 Ludgate, Alloa) you will get a voucher which gets you 10% off in our charity shop (69 Mill Street, Alloa) and your child can get a gift from our mystery box!
Over 1.4 million people in Scotland are worried about being able to adequately heat their home this winter
A new campaign has launched, encouraging people who are worried about energy bills to seek advice from our friends at the Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) network.
CAS has launched the Worried this Winter campaign, encouraging people to seek advice from the network in a variety of ways. People can visit www.cas.org.uk/worried where they can choose an option that works for them, such as:
Last year the average gain from energy related advice from across the Scottish CAB network was more than £400.
Visit www.cas.org.uk/worried
Our Breakfast Bingo is a Wednesday this month, please leave a text or voicemail with your name and any other names of those attending!
We are having a FREE family meal night on Friday the 17th of November 4pm-6pm. Food will be soups, spaghetti with meatballs, mince & tatties and jelly with ice cream. Bring Tupperware if you want to takeaway or if there are extras! Just pop in, no booking required.
Charity Shop Assistant
Hours: 18 per week
£11.10 Per hour
Responsible to: Shop Manager
The Gate trading purpose:
To make as much money as possible to help overcome poverty and suffering in Clackmannanshire. Our Charity shop has been open for business since 2021, raising vital funds and increasing public awareness of what we do for the community.
Job Summary
We are currently recruiting a Shop Assistant to work 2.5 days per week, to assist the Manager and other staff, in providing a high quality of retail service.
Working every second Saturday
To run the shop in the Managers absence, undertaking all appropriate duties to ensure continued operation of the shop.
Provide effective leadership to the volunteers, managing and supporting as appropriate to ensure they operate as an effective and motivated team.
Minimum Qualifications / Experience Required
· Minimum of one years’ experience in the retail sector
· Experience of providing customer service
Duties and Responsibilities of the Post:
• To work with the Shop Manager and adhere to stock control, pricing, and rotation procedures, displaying goods in the shop, and maintaining high overall standards of display.
• Maintain a high standard of display, both externally and internally.
• Achieve and maintain high standards of housekeeping, organisation, and cleanliness throughout the shop premises.
• Provide the highest level of customer service to donors and customers.
• Maintain awareness of competitor activity in the local area
• Assist the Shop Manager to ensure the shop is a safe environment that protects all staff, volunteers, and the public.
• Actively encourage donations into the shop.
• Understand and comply with the requirements of Trading Standards Regulations.
• Hold shop keys, opening & closing the premises for trading hours
• Report any maintenance or H&S issues in the shop to the Shop Manager.
• Carry out any other duties as reasonably requested by Shop Manager.
• To support the manager in merchandising creatively to ensure maximum sales and profit are achieved
• Ensure that customer service is professional and supports the ethos of the Gate Charity.
• Support and advertise The Gate events, campaigns, projects, and awareness issues.
• Build relationships with customers and the community.
• Promote the role of the charity in the community.
Volunteers support
• To assist the Shop Manager by providing advice & guidance to the volunteers, to develop an efficient & effective team
• Support and help train volunteers.
Completed application forms to be submitted by 5pm on the 10th of November. Via email to jilly@the-gate-charity.org or posted to ‘The Attention of Jilly Guild’, The Gate Charity, 2 Ludgate, Alloa, FK10 2DR.
Established in 1976 the Trust was formed following a bequest from the estate of Miss Annie Spittal. The Trustees meet quarterly, usually in March, June, September and December.
An application will only be accepted if any item you are applying for has been refused from Scottish Welfare Fund. Applications to SWF can be made via Scottish Welfare Fund page.
The terms of the Trust require the trust funds to be used to provide assistance to applicants who are of deserving character who has resided in Alloa for 10 years preceding the application being made, but due to age, infirmity or reduced circumstances are unable to support themselves.
Applications are now being accepted for the next meeting of the Spittal Trust – date to be confirmed.
All applications will be considered but due to lack of funds, assistance is mainly given for essential household goods (eg electric cooker, washing machine, fridge, beds and bedding etc).
By application form.
Application forms are available:
Revenue Services
Kilncraigs, Greenside Street, Alloa, FK10 1EB
Tel: 01259 450000 / 226246
Email: SWF@clacks.gov.uk
Or use the on-line contact form
First Published: 26 March 2018
The value of foodbanks goes well beyond the food they provide, offering social contact and a safe place where users find care, dignity and respect.
The value of foodbanks goes well beyond the food they provide, offering social contact and a safe place where users find care, dignity and respect, according to new research released today by the University of Glasgow.
Conducted by the University’s GoWell Programme, the research examined the scale of food bank use in 15 communities in Glasgow, each of which lie within the 15% most deprived in Scotland.
It found that those affected by welfare reforms were more likely to use a foodbank. It also showed that young single men and those with mental health problems were also more likely to use a foodbank.
But while foodbanks cannot solve the problem of food insecurity, they offer valuable social support and could be an example to other organisations of how to treat people in difficult circumstances with dignity, care and respect.
The research, conducted by Professor Ade Kearns and researchers Mary Anne MacLeod and Louise Lawson, was in two parts – a household survey and follow up in-depth interviews.
The survey results are published in a research paper called Understanding the prevalence and drivers of foodbank use: evidence from deprived communities in Glasgow and published in the journal Social Policy & Society.
Professor Kearns said: “Our research shows that foodbanks are a course of last resort for many people and cannot be relied on to tackle the scale of food insecurity in our poorest communities.
“However, in debates about the future of foodbanks, it is important to recognise their value to users beyond the food itself, so that the ability to offer contact and support to often isolated individuals with complex needs is extended rather than reduced as food aid is reformed”.
The household survey was conducted in 15 deprived communities in Glasgow. It has produced the first estimate of the prevalence of foodbank use anywhere in the UK.
It found that 4.2% or 1-in-25 households in these poorer communities had used a foodbank in the past year.
However, it also found that a further 3.8% of households were categorised as “non-accessors” – those who said they ‘had not wanted to use a food bank’ or ‘had not been able to use or access a food bank (without a referral)’. Only 15% of those who reported having difficulty paying for food also reported having used a food bank.
The survey analysis also revealed some of the main drivers of foodbank use:-
The second part of the research involved follow-up, in-depth interviews with foodbank users. The outcome of these interviews mirrored the survey, showing not only a link between foodbank use and poverty but also foodbank use and social isolation.
Professor Kearns said: “We found that people appreciate the role of the foodbank in helping them through an acute financial crisis. But we also found that users of foodbanks also valued the social contact and support offered by foodbank staff and volunteers, sometimes in a café atmosphere. Some people became regular users of foodbanks for this reason, as much as for the food.
“And we found that there was huge praise and appreciation for the dignity, respect and care users were treated with when they went to a foodbank for help. Many people felt they did not get this from other agencies dealing with things like benefits or employment issues. Many commented that this positive treatment at a foodbank gave them back some of their humanity when often they felt ashamed and guilty at having to access this help in the first place.”
The qualitative research is published as Food and Beyond: Exploring the Foodbank Experience and is available at: www.gowellonline.com