Jumble Sale & Shed

Jumble Sale History

The first Jumble Sale was held on 28 March 1992, over 30 years ago.

The idea was first suggested by Gerry and Sue Puttock, the original aim being to raise funds for a vehicle to transport members of the congregation – particularly youth- to various church functions elsewhere.

Sometime later Church Council decided the funds raised would be better directed towards the planned new church.

When the proposal was presented to Church Council there were at first some reservations expressed although approval was given for Gerry and Sue to go ahead.

The only space readily available was the church hall which was the venue until 2001.

Storage was a matter to be resolved as the hall was used by multiple groups. The solution was to use the hall lobby.

The task of placing merchandise out for display was done the day before a sale and then packed away at the end – a time-consuming task. Volunteers from the congregation willingly supplied the effort.

Goods were displayed on trestle tables made by volunteers with most of the tables being discarded doors that were repainted and trestles made from new timber with these all still in use today.

Items for sale were and still are, donated from various sources, being goods no longer needed.  The generosity of donors is much valued.

There have been many occasions when various household items have been donated to needy families.

The success of the venture has been proven in the ongoing popularity with customers and the community outreach achieved.  There are a lot of regulars and certainly advertising and word of mouth has helped.

The quality of items on sale is high with the approach being “If you would not give it to your best friend why give it to us.”

Timeline

As mentioned above the first sale was on 28 March 1992. The second was on 2 April 1992 and the third on 13 May 1992. A monster Youth Street stall was held on 30 May 1992.  (These dates come from the diaries of the late Norma Heath.) Otherwise, sale days were ad hoc until some time later a regular sale date was set as the last Saturday of the month except December.

Church members were asked to donate unwanted items and the quantities built up.

In 2001 it became obvious the space in the hall and lobby was totally inadequate and thanks to a generous donation a shed was built providing better storage and security and initially allowing some more attractive displays.  

Then a concrete verandah was added.

Items such as books, bric-a-brac, and furniture were stored on the verandah and covered with tarpaulins requiring setting out on sale days and if the weather was inclement a hurried covering and/or retrieval was required.

The verandah was later roofed by volunteers which helped a lot even though goods still had to be covered at the end of the day. This is the area where books are now displayed.

Latterly again by a generous donation, a further shed and verandah was added and the whole enclosed against weather and allowing all goods to be displayed to advantage. Plastic drop-down curtains have been added affording protection on wet and or windy days.  

This verandah was extended around to the eastern end of the second shed and provided cover for children’s toys etc to be displayed under cover on sale days and provided protection for items that could not be stored inside.  This also gave space and cover for tables and trestles to be stored.  

After the second shed was built June Lawrence suggested the setting up of morning tea for customers without charge although it was hoped that patrons would make a small donation. There were space restrictions at the Jumble Sale as well as a lack of kitchen facilities so this activity was moved to the church CAST area where patrons can sit in comfort while enjoying a cup of tea or coffee.  The ladies who man the kitchen on sale days make and donate cakes and slices to go with the ‘cuppa’.

Shelving in the first shed was also donated and built by a member of the congregation. The front counter, display cabinets, other display shelving, clothes racks, and bookshelves were obtained through various contacts without cost and allows all the goods to be displayed so customers do not have to search through piles to see what is available.

Bulkier items such as furniture cannot be openly displayed in the sheds but need to be put out on sale days. The task of putting away at the end of the day is not onerous.

The initial concrete path from the church to the Jumble Sale Shed was financed through a Presbytery grant. The excavation was done by volunteers and the concrete laid by a contractor.

The extension of this concrete path to the street and the laying of a concrete strip at the rear of the Jumble Sale shed was all done recently by volunteers.

COVID caused disruption to this service with nine months of sales being cancelled in 2020 and four months in 2021. Since Jumble resumed, our customers have returned appreciating the social contact and general conversation.

Volunteers

The Jumble sale is operated entirely by volunteers.

Sue Puttock was the first coordinator and continued in that role until she took up full-time employment which included Saturdays.

Judith Evans then stepped into the role until about 2007/08 when she handed the reins to Julie Veal. In Judith’s term we obtained the contents of a deceased estate and The Queanbeyan Age gave us some publicity. This brought the Jumble sale to the notice of a wider range of the population.

Julie and Colin Veal decided to place a regular advert in the Canberra Times and this increased custom even further.

A small number of volunteers attend once a week to receive and sort donated goods. On sale days a number of others also help in various ways including setting out and packing up bulkier items.

It is interesting to note that at least seven of those volunteers are not members of our current congregation.

Conclusion

Has the Jumble sale been a success?

The basic aim and reward is in the community outreach demonstrated by the numbers who come to browse and purchase and have a chat.

Sue Puttock commented the reward was in seeing the happy faces of young mothers who came to the sales and were able to go home with children’s clothes at a fraction of retail prices. (And those who are parents know just how fast children grow out of their clothes.)

The quality of goods on sale is high – “If you would not give it to your best friend why give it to us.”

Prices are set and maintained extremely low. Rev Kevin Dilks in commending that approach said “When you put fundraising at the Jumble Sale as the priority it will spell the end. “

Even so, funds raised over the years exceeds $330,000 with over two-thirds of that raised in the last 15 Years. (A clear picture of income in the earlier years is not readily available as the Church Annual Balance Sheets did and does not always separate Jumble Sale income from other general fundraising or from the funds raised at the Spring Fair.)

Volunteers have fun and thrive on the social contact with customers and each other and their efforts are made more enjoyable when they get to meet and talk with people they might not otherwise come in contact with.

Authors Footnote

I have not attempted to list names of the numerous people who have helped at the Jumble Sale over the years for to do so would surely inevitably miss out on someone who has willingly given hours of their time to the project.

There could be errors and omissions in what I have written and any assistance in further clarifying the history of the Jumble Sale would be appreciated.

 Howard Doust 

Written in July 2019, and updated in January 2023