After opening its doors on Nairn High Street this spring, New Start Highland has quickly become a welcome addition to the town centre, breathing new life into one of the town’s largest retail units.
Now firmly established, the social enterprise is looking to build on its success by recruiting more volunteers to join the team.
Nairn is the seventh retail outlet for New Start Highland, which already operates shops in Thurso and Dingwall, a pop-up shop on Harbour Road and a unit in the Eastgate Centre in Inverness, as well as two more outlets at its Training and Reuse village on Carsegate Road in the Highland capital. The Village is also home to The Yard Café, and a training kitchen.
Gaynor Kerrison, who oversees all retail activity across the organisation, highlighted how volunteers are at the heart of New Start Highland.
“We currently have two volunteers in Nairn and they do a tremendous job, but we really do need more people to get involved and help.” she said. “The footfall in Nairn is great and stock moves very quickly, so we need people to help us keep on top of that.
“We always try to match people with roles that suit their interests or skills. For example, if someone has an interest in fashion, we’ll ask if they’d like to help in the clothing department. We want people to enjoy volunteering with us, and part of that is making the most of their individual skills and interests.”
She added: “It would be fantastic if we could recruit another volunteer to work at our cash desk. Some people are a little nervous about it at first, but once they’ve had the training, they love it. It’s a great way to interact with customers.
“We simply couldn’t run the shop without our volunteers, if someone has the willingness to help, we’d love to hear from them. Our volunteer coordinator will also be speaking with the local school to see if any young people would like to get involved. We can support things like the volunteering section of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, for example.
“Volunteering can also be a valuable stepping stone back into paid employment. We have people from all walks of life volunteering with us, and New Start Highland is very good at supporting everyone according to their individual needs.”
Alongside its volunteers, the Nairn shop employs two members of staff, sharing one full-time equivalent post. The shop is open six days a week from 9am until 5pm.
For Gaynor, one of the highlights has been the warm welcome the organisation has received from the local community.
“From the moment we announced we were taking over the unit, we’ve felt incredibly welcome,” she said. “People were really pleased to see the premises occupied again.
“Part of my role across all of our outlets is making sure people have a genuinely enjoyable shopping experience. We want customers to walk into any of our stores and instantly recognise that it’s New Start Highland. All our shops have a similar layout and a welcoming atmosphere. We want them to feel more like showrooms than traditional charity shops.”
She is also keen to dispel one misconception.
“Some people think New Start Highland is only for those receiving benefits, but that’s simply not true. Anyone can shop in any of our stores. People are often surprised by how good the shops look and the quality of the products we sell.”
Founded 26 years ago, New Start Highland has helped reuse more than one million items and diverted over 11,000 tonnes of waste from landfill. Alongside its environmental work, the organisation provides training opportunities and practical support to help individuals and families rebuild their lives after hardship.
Across the Highlands, New Start Highland employs around 200 people, including staff, trainees and its invaluable team of volunteers.
The Nairn shop also features a dedicated section showcasing the Unique Ness range – a collection of distinctive furniture and soft furnishings that have been expertly restored or creatively upcycled by skilled craftspeople at the organisation’s Carsegate workshop.
“The Unique Ness range is incredibly popular,” Gaynor said. “Our upcycling team does an amazing job – many of the pieces look brand new. We also stock Frenchic paint, which is what we use on the Unique Ness furniture, so if people are inspired to try their own upcycling projects, they can buy the paint from us too.”
For Gaynor, one of Nairn’s greatest strengths is its community spirit.
“We’ve really felt part of what’s going on in the town and have enjoyed getting involved in local events,” she said. “In May, we supported Taste of Nairn by providing seating areas where people could sit, enjoy the live music and eat their food. It was a real success and we’d love to be involved again.
“We’re also planning a Wheels of Nairn-themed window display and will be taking part in the town’s Christmas celebrations. It feels great to be part of the community.”
