By Tyler Wright
Tecoma PWP Op Shop has been given a new lease on life thanks to a local resident.
After shutting its doors on 1 September due to financial pressure and a lack of volunteers, Linda Hazelman, of The Basin, has taken on the role as store manager to keep the store running for the community.
“It was actually my mother and her partner, who are committee members for the Ballarat branch of PWP [Parents Without Partners] – with everything that was happening they asked me if I would step up, and I did,” Ms Hazelman said.
“We’re not open on a Thursday at the moment until we get more volunteers and hopefully co-share in the management.”
Ms Hazelman, who grew up in Wantirna, said there was talk of the shop being acquired by local charity Foothills Community Care – but at the 11th hour it was decided the shop, off Burwood Highway, would remain under the management of the Parents Without Partners organisation.
“From my point of view, I’m very happy to give back to the community in my life,” Ms Hazelman said.
“I must admit, It’s a very big job; especially since we received so many donations and there’s quite a bit of a backlog; there’s a lot of other things that need attention here that we just don’t have the volunteers as yet for.
“We’re hoping that it’ll be a success… at the moment, the workload on the shoulders of only so many people is pretty overwhelming.”
Norma Boyse spent two decades as op shop manager, stepping down due to health issues and operational costs becoming too much.
Ms Hazelman, who reopened the store on 26 September, admitted making a profit for the charity will be a “big challenge”.
“[Our goal is] to get rid of a lot of the old stock that’s not selling, and making it a little bit more upmarket so it’s more of a viable proposition; because there are so many overheads,” she said.
“There’s all sorts of stuff besides electricity and the general running of the store… [there’s] public liability and accident insurance.”
But business has proved popular so far, with a busy day marking the store’s reopening.
“Many have said ‘I’m so glad you’ve reopened’ and ‘we thought you were going to be shut permanently and we didn’t know what was going on,'” Ms Hazelman said.
“I think patronage will increase too as the word gets out more and more on Facebook and word of mouth that the store’s reopened…we’ll just need the human resources.”
Selling household items like kitchenware and clothes to musical instruments and CDs, Ms Hazelman is looking for volunteers to help sort donations.
“Where I usually shop in Boronia, there’s a veteran affairs shop, and we’re very similar to them…they’re a lot cheaper than some of the other op shops,” she said.
“In these harder economic times with high inflation and mortgage repayments or rent, I think people are a bit more frugal and they’re looking for a bargain.”
Tecoma PWP Op Shop is located on 89 Sandells Road in Tecoma.
The store is currently and open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9.30am to 4pm.
