Key Points
- Cambridgeshire teenager Alex Watkin-Child, 17, completed a three-day work experience placement at the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) shop on Histon Road in Cambridge.
- He described the experience as “very rewarding” and said it helped build his confidence and gave him skills he can use in life.
- During the placement, he served customers, sorted donated clothes, priced vinyl records for eBay listings, and helped shoppers and donors with larger items.
- Alex is not known to have a personal connection to EACH, but he has previously raised funds for the charity and regularly shops there.
- In 2017, he and his family helped secure a £25,000 grant for EACH through OneFamily’s Foundation Community Awards.
- His mother, Theresa, said she was proud of his achievement.
- Shop manager Bridget Parr said Alex approached every task with enthusiasm, and his confidence visibly grew across the three days.
- Alex now plans to study animal care at Huntingdon Regional College and hopes to work with dogs in the future.
Histon (Cambridge Tribune) August 05, 2026 – A Cambridgeshire teenager has described his work experience at a charity shop as “very rewarding” after spending three days volunteering at the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices shop on uk/local/histon/">Histon Road in Cambridge. As reported by the Hunts Post, Alex Watkin-Child, 17, said the placement gave him confidence, practical skills and a clearer sense of how he wants to move forward after school.
What did Alex do?
As reported by the Hunts Post, Alex spent his placement serving customers, sorting donated clothes, pricing vinyl records for eBay listings and helping donors and shoppers with larger items. The report said he also learned about how the shop operates day to day, giving him a wider view of the charity retail environment.
Mr Watkin-Child said:
“I found it very rewarding and the experience has given me skills I can hopefully take forward in life.”
He added:
“Everyone was friendly and welcoming, which I appreciated.”
Why was it important?
Alex said he is not the most confident person and sometimes finds speaking to people difficult, but the shop team helped him feel at ease.
“I’m not the most confident and can find it hard speaking to people sometimes, but they put me at ease and made me feel comfortable,”
he said.
The placement appears to have offered more than routine volunteering. According to the report, Alex said it helped him build confidence while also giving him work-based experience in customer service, organisation and communication.
What did the shop say?
Bridget Parr, manager at the Histon Road shop, said it was a pleasure to have Alex on placement. She said he approached every task with enthusiasm and a smile, whether he was helping customers, sorting donations or learning about the shop’s operations.
“What really stood out was how much his confidence grew over the three days,” Parr said, according to the Hunts Post.
What is Alex’s link to EACH?
The report said Alex does not have a personal connection to the charity, but he has raised money for EACH in the past and is a regular customer at the shop. That background adds context to his placement, which took place at a charity he already knew through fundraising and visits.
In 2017, Alex and his family helped secure a £25,000 grant for EACH through OneFamily’s Foundation Community Awards. The funding supported a new boiler, refurbishment of the hydrotherapy pool and a dehumidifier, all aimed at improving comfort for children with respiratory needs.
What happens next?
Alex now plans to study animal care at Huntingdon Regional College and hopes to build a career working with dogs. His placement at the charity shop appears to have been one step in a wider move towards gaining experience, confidence and practical skills before that next stage.
His mother, Theresa, said she was incredibly proud of what he had achieved. The report presents the placement as a short but meaningful part of his preparation for further study and future work.
Background of the development
EACH, or East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, provides care and support for children with life-threatening conditions and their families. Charity shops such as the one on Histon Road help raise funds for that work while also offering volunteering and work experience opportunities.
Work placements like Alex’s are often used by schools, colleges and employers to help young people understand workplace expectations. In this case, the placement combined customer service, stock handling and routine shop duties, all within a charity setting that Alex already supported.
What is the prediction for students?
For students like Alex, short charity shop placements can help improve confidence, communication and responsibility before moving into college or work. They can also strengthen future applications by showing practical experience in a real workplace.
For young people aiming for further training, such experience may be especially useful when they are choosing courses or careers that depend on people skills, teamwork and reliability. In this case, the placement could support Alex’s next steps in animal care by helping him become more comfortable working with the public and managing daily tasks.
