With over a 150 people a day using our shower facilities and each and every one of them is looking for a change of clothing. Many others are trying to build a wardrobe of clothing as they attempt to rebuild their lives. As a result there is a constant need for clean, used clothing to be sorted, measured and sized and hung, ready for distribution.

A Clothing Challenge needs to be a team of people of no less than 8 people and no more than 16 people. 12 is a good number. These teams are responsible for ensuring there is sufficient clothing available for the showers each morning at The Whitechapel Mission. We can accommodate 3 Clothing Challenges a week between September and February. And 2 Clothing Challenges a week between March and August.

We will ensure that there are always staff to supervise/assist. Our building has been designed to be a safe environment to work and have a positive introduction to our work. During hot weather, we will ensure that we can supply water, regular breaks and a cool environment to work. We request that your team are on-site by 8:45am latest as this is a team building challenge and it is a better experience if all the team can arrive together. We will be all done and ready to leave by 12:30.

We ask that volunteers are over 18 and able to spend a long time on their feet.

The challenge is made-up of two parts:

• The opening of sacks of donated clothing, the sorting, removing the items that we can not use and placing the items we wish to keep into crates of similar items, trousers in one box, shirts in another etc. This requires 4 to 6 people.
• The second part of the challenge is the measuring, tagging and hanging of clothes on appropriate rails ready for distribution. This requires 4 to six people.

If you have an interest in getting people in your organization to work more effectively as a team, would like an icebreaker to integrate new members into your group or would just like to organize a fun day out, then a Whitechapel Mission Team Challenge experience could be just what you are looking for.

A Whitechapel Mission Team Challenge offers an unusual and free alternative to the myriad of outdoor 'corporate training' days now on offer. Your employees will join regular Whitechapel Mission staff - making a real difference for some of London's homeless while working as a team and having fun. We do not charge volunteering groups to get involved with our volunteering program, but many choose to financially support us and our priority corporate supporters will always get preference when it comes to volunteering dates and booking.

If you are interested in volunteering with The Whitechapel Mission, please contact our office on 03000 111 400 or view our volunteering diary...