Amelia, Volunteer and Illustrator, sorting donations at Oxfam Argyle Street, Bath. Jen Gale / Oxfam
Meet Amelia, Oxfam shop volunteer
Meet Amelia - a shop volunteer who’s used her illustration talent to create colourful Sourced by Oxfam stationery, paint shop windows, and much more.
Amelia's designs celebrate diversity and inclusivity, showing Oxfam shops as spaces of belonging where everyone is welcome.
From sketchpad to shop window: Amelia’s story of art, confidence and community at Oxfam
Four years ago, Amelia was fresh from finishing her GCSEs and staring down a long summer with no real plans. Shy, 16, and uncertain of what would come next, she decided to do something simple – volunteer in her local Oxfam shop. She had no idea that choice would change everything.
“I've always wanted to be an illustrator,” she says. “You can ask five-year-old me.”
Since joining Oxfam, that dream has taken real shape. What began as shifts on the shop floor has blossomed into a creative partnership. Amelia has used her artistic talent to design everything from vibrant Volunteers’ Week posters to colourful, sustainable stationery products for Oxfam’s Sourced By Oxfam range – and even to paint shop windows that stop passers-by in their tracks.
“I've always wanted to be an illustrator. You can ask five-year-old me!”
Amelia
It all started with a lino printing kit that arrived in the shop as a donation. “I just felt like I had to do something related to Oxfam,” she remembers. “Then somehow I made a lino print... I’m not sure how!” That print became the design for an iconic tote bag now spotted all over the country by friends who excitedly message her: ‘Ooh, here’s your bag!’
Her latest work – a joyful, hand-drawn poster thanking Oxfam’s volunteers – hangs in every Oxfam shop across the UK. “This is what my artwork looks like,” she says proudly. “It’s my style. To see it everywhere – it’s exciting.”
“The confidence I’ve gained just from being here, working with the same supportive people each week – it’s made such a huge impact.”
Amelia
But Amelia’s journey at Oxfam hasn’t just been creative. It’s been deeply personal.
“I was a very shy 16-year-old,” she reflects. “Now it’s wild to see the difference. The confidence I’ve gained just from being here, working with the same supportive people each week – it’s made such a huge impact.”
Amelia’s art often reflects her values. She cares deeply about climate change, equality, and social justice – and through Oxfam, she’s found a way to channel that anxiety into action.
“I’m very anxious about the state of the world. But doing this for Oxfam really helps. Knowing I’m doing something to help – that matters.”
Amelia
Today, Amelia’s designs celebrate the heart of Oxfam’s mission – community, inclusivity, and belonging. Her illustrations light up shop windows and stationery alike, proudly showing that Oxfam shops are places where everyone is welcome.
Her message to others is simple: “Just give it a go. I think you’ll be surprised how much you like it.”
Amelia is living proof that a small step – one shift in a charity shop – can unlock creativity, confidence, and community. And that, sometimes, the best way to change the world is to start on your local high street.