Meet Amelia, Oxfam shop volunteer

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.

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.”

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.

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.