Charlotte curates Coburg

Volunteering every Saturday, Charlotte starts her shift working the floor, sifting through the entire stock, and selecting clothes that she feels could be highlighted elsewhere.  

“Finding clothes that fit doesn’t have to be about a label or the size, it’s how things are cut, the shape, the fabric – ignore the sizes! You’ve got to know your stock!” 

When she finds the right pieces, she adds them to the 4-5 racks of curated clothing in the 16+ section. 

She then positions herself near the changing rooms, ready to help anyone who needs assistance. This is a rarity in most op shops, such a level of customer service is usually reserved for high-end boutiques. 

“Op shopping is retail, and op shoppers should expect good customer service when shopping at Sacred Heart Mission.” 

“Last week, this fabulous woman came into the store and was trying on a few dresses, I remembered seeing some items I thought she would look great in and helped her with my suggestions. She had just lost a lot of weight and was unsure of how to dress in her new body. She bought so many items and even went out to her car and gave us all these bags of brand-new clothes with tags that don’t fit her anymore. She was going to sell them but wanted Sacred Heart Mission to have them – it was incredible!” 

A mum of 4 boys who moved to Australia 20 years ago from England, Charlotte’s life has been full of twists and turns. When she first arrived in Australia as a trained ICU nurse, Charlotte suffered a back injury that left her unable to work and ultimately changed her body shape.  

“I couldn’t work and put on weight and thought, that’s it – I’m going to make clothes for women like me, I know bodies after all, being a nurse.” 

Charlotte started her own business making clothes for plus size women and sold items at local markets. She soon ran out of stock and had regulars calling her for the next design. 

A few different careers followed including the full-time job of raising her family, and eventually it was some major life changes that led her to volunteer at Sacred Heart Mission.  She’s proud to be one-year sober after realizing she needed to make a big change with regards to her drinking.  She started an AOD (Alcohol and other Drug treatment) and the whole journey gave her the clarity she needed to dive into the next chapter of her life. It was during this time one year ago she began volunteering at the Coburg op shop. 

“I had a think about what I wanted to do and as a 55-year-old woman, employment can be difficult at my age and you know, older women are the largest growing demographic of people experiencing homelessness. I love the services Sacred Heart Mission provide women, that’s why I’m here. I’m a local, I love fashion, and I love volunteering.”  

Alongside volunteering, Charlotte started a styling course at RMIT university and is excited for what the future holds.   

Charlotte’s in-depth knowledge of fashion is an incredible asset to the Coburg team and creates a unique shopping experience. At the end of the day, Charlotte loves seeing people step into their confidence. 

“We’re so lucky here and it’s so fantastic to see customers walking out, feeling great, finding their style and enjoying this community op shop.”