Vincent’s charity shop in Westside, Galway has won the Team of the Year award in the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP ) West Region.
The award was presented at the Vincent’s 2024 Retail Conference held earlier this month in University College Cork and attended by some 200 volunteers and managers from the Vincent’s network of shops throughout Ireland.
A theme of the conference was the social, environmental and financial value (the triple bottom line ) that Vincent’s shops bring to the work of SVP.
Vincent’s shops are important to their local communities, generating surpluses that are used to support those most in need in those communities and operating in a sustainable manner.
There are more than 230 SVP shops throughout Ireland, trading under the ‘Vincent's’ name. Vincent’s shops are a hugely important aspect of the service SVP provides to those who seek its assistance. Not only do the shops provide goods at affordable prices and help reconnect people, disconnected by poverty, they also provide an income source for the society, which is directed back into the local communities.
Speakers at the conference included Kevin O’Sullivan, environment and science editor of The Irish Times; Robin Osterley, CEO, Charity Retail Association, UK; and Jeff Buamguard, director of stores support, SVP, USA.
