Apprenticeshop

The ‘Apprenticeshop’

Our pop-up charity shop, Apprenticeshop on Maidenhead High St is an important part of the school’s careers programme, offering meaningful retail work experience in the heart of the community to pupils in Years 8-13. We are very grateful to The Shanly Group who have given us the shop to sell ex-showhome, pre-loved and recycled homewares, with all proceeds going to local charities.

Since September we have been joined by pupils from Forest Bridge School and Manor Green School who are taking sessions at the shop meaning we can be open nearly every day of the week!

The vision for the Apprenticeshop is fourfold:

  • 1) an opportunity to offer meaningful work experience in the retail industry
  • 2) to engage with the community
  • 3) to raise money for local charities
  • 4) to promote sustainability.

The Apprenticeshop is a supported working and learning space timetabled to be manned 2 days per week by Beech Lodge pupils and on other days it is available to other local special schools.

To date the initiative has been tremendously successful. Over 30 pupils have completed vital work experience, enabling them to foster independence and develop key life skills before they transition to the wider world. Importantly, the local community has eagerly supported the shop, aware of the needs of our pupils and the sales figures reflect that support.

 

 

The Apprenticeshop has achieved its aim to raise significant charitable funds which has been donated to local charities including:

If you have any good quality furniture and homewares you would like to donate to the shop, please let us know via email info@beechlodgeschool.co.uk

Apprenticeshop CIC is a subsidiary of Beech Lodge School.

 

“It’s really nice to help refugees. I remember one day two refugees from Ukraine came in. It was a mum and her daughter. They couldn’t speak English but they saw the banner and flag we had made in the window. They cried and hugged Mrs Barnes. All the adults were crying. It felt good to help.” (Sam—Year 10)

 

“I love working in the shop because it teaches you life skills like how to work on a till, how to serve people and how to set up the shop. It teaches you resilience because if you are shy like me, you have to speak to people if they ask you a question. The other day someone ask me the price of something and I didn’t know but I used my judgement and was confident.”  (Emily—Year 12)

“Working in the Apprenticeshop will help me with my CV as I can show all the skills that I have learnt. I think this will help me find a job somewhere else.” (William—Year 11)