Personalised Shopping Service

During the Covid 19 crisis 2020 Age UK Reading became a referral partner for One Reading Hub.

Our staff set up a shopping service which supported older people who were required to isolate. We helped these people by getting groceries and other essential items for them, when no-one else could.

Now that the lockdown has passed we recognise many of the clients find this service is a lifeline , so we have decided to make this a permanent part of our service offer.

The Service

We will work with you to find a volunteer who will undertake the shopping trip on your behalf.  Our staff will liaise with you on the phone and ensure you understand our procedures, then the volunteer will collect the shopping list you have prepared, get the shopping and return it to your doorstep. We endeavor to keep the same shopper all the time, so hopefully you see a familiar face and a friendly voice each week.

Safe and secure

We know that trust is a major issue when people are helping you so we only engage with volunteers who have been DBS checked and for whom we have obtained references. Our procedures ensure transparency with each transaction documented and receipts photographed and stored.

Payment for shopping and service charge

We work with you to find the best way for you to pay for your shopping. Most do so by cheque or cash.

In order to make the service sustainable we do issue a small charge based on the size of your shop. This is to offset the costs of running the service and to make it sustainable.

The costs are as follows:

Shop value   >   Service Charge

Under £30    >      £5

£30-£50         >     £ 7.50

Over £50       >      £10

If you are interested in finding out more about this service, then please contact us on 0118 950 2480 or email info@ageukreading.org.uk