Kelsey's Story

Training and Work Experience
Retail and Customer Experience
Single Mom, Resident of Dudley
Approximately 18 months ago I approached provision house with the intention of volunteering. My youngest had recently started school full time and my eldest was not as dependent on me with his disability so I found myself with a lot of free time.
I suffered very severely with anxiety and struggled to be around new people.
I arranged a meeting with the volunteer’s manager where we discussed what progression I would like to make and it just so happened at that time a new training program was being trialed. I decided to continue with the training and volunteer alongside to help build my confidence and learn some new skills.
“I suffered very severely with anxiety and struggled to be around new people.”
“The training helped me improve my knowledge on customer service and retail.”
The training helped me improve my knowledge on customer service and retail and the volunteering helped me use the skills I was learning and gain confidence when dealing with new people. After a short time, I realised I absolutely loved every part of it.
I was taking on independent challenges within the shop.
I created a plus size clothing range that is now on of our best sellers. I created customer surveys to help get an understanding of what people wanted and I started to take more responsibility and loved being creative with displays. My confidence had improved so much.

In July of 2022 a job role became available for a part time shop assistant I thought long and hard about what I wanted but overall but decided to throw all I had into it. I had so much support from provision house during the interview process they helped coach and give me so many useful tips and advice and it all corresponded with the previous training I’d received.
I attended the job interview and after a short time got the news, I was now a paid member of staff! Just a few short months after that I officially became the shops assistant manager.
“I had so much support from provision house”
“have grown so much in confidence”
18 months ago I was a completely different person and now I’ve made so much progression and have grown so much in confidence. I’m happy to run the shop be decisive and now help other people the way that provision house helped me I will be forever grateful.


Provision House (formerly known as Loaves n Fishes) is a Christian charity based in the West Midlands. We are committed to the relief of poverty and all its effects on the people of Sandwell, Dudley and the wider Black Country. We aim to do this by delivering care in the way of furniture, clothes, household items, food and more to help those that need it most. We help them to build a home for themselves and also try to establish links with organisations for their ongoing benefit. Charity No: 1147775
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