Charlotte is a student at Exeter College who works at one of the InFocus Charity Shops in Exeter as part of her supported internship.

As part of our wider social enterprise at InFocus, we work with partners such as Exeter College to find the right placement for young people that are looking to develop work skills and independence to progress towards employment. Charlotte volunteers at one of the InFocus charity shops twice a week, and is developing customer service skills whilst building her own confidence.

Charlotte travels independently to work by bus, and ensures that she is always on time. At work, she is partnered with another volunteer to help her with any questions that she might have, and is learning how to use the talking till as well as developing her customer facing skills. Charlotte has been working at InFocus for just over two months, and says:

Overall my experience has been amazing. I’ve helped lots, from sweeping and dusting to serving customers. If I’m not sure about anything, I ask the other volunteers who help me. Sometimes I make everyone coffee, and I’ve even bought a new dress!

Charlotte

At college, Charlotte has been quite shy around her peers. During her supported internship, we have provided her with just the right amount of support to build her confidence and now she approaches customers with ease, providing helpful information and always a friendly face. Julie, Charity Shop Manager at InFocus says that Charlotte has come on leaps and bounds in a short period of time.

Charlotte is one of the team and we have been so impressed by how well she gets on with everything. She’s flying! We would love for her to stay on in the future to be a regular volunteer.

Julie, Charity Shop Manager

The change we have seen in Charlotte so far has been inspiring. Her confidence and social skills have improved greatly and she is a valued member of the team. We’re looking forward to continuing to support Charlotte to move into employment and achieve her aspirations.