Seventy years ago this month, 17 Broad Street was chosen as the site of the UK’s first permanent charity shop by the Oxford Committee For Famine Relief. Oxfam, as we know it today, has traded here continuously ever since and the shop still depends on a tight-knit team of brilliant volunteers to maintain the charity’s mission of ending world poverty.

Celebrating Oxfam's 75th anniversary this year, the charity continues to work to tackle the root causes of poverty all year round, so maybe (like me) your new year’s resolution could be to get involved too?

Now the nights have drawn in, you can swap standing in that muddy festival field for a short shift in a cosy Oxfam shop – as little as four hours a week can make all the difference.

Supported by a workforce of 22,000 volunteers, Oxfam has more than 650 shops nationwide selling a huge variety of unique clothes, affordable accessories, brilliant books and an exciting new Fairtrade product range.

Being in the very heart of the city, this proud flagship store is lucky enough to receive a wide range of quality donations from a diverse source of fashionable students, local residents and inquisitive tourists – who in turn spend their money on newly found treasure to create a virtuous circle of ultimate recycling.

The shop also houses our city centre’s only vinyl offering in its snug basement music department, which has built a solid reputation since being opened 20 years ago by the charity's music specialist David Partrick ((corr)).

Local superstar musicians are also known to have anonymously donated instruments and memorabilia over the years, so you never know what you might find down there waiting for a new home in your own collection.

From teenagers to retirees, this wonderful team includes 44 weekly volunteers from across the globe – who assist with every aspect of the business from sorting donated goods, assessing condition, competitive pricing, eye-catching window dressing, restocking shelves and, of course, first-class customer service. The shop is open seven days a week, so it’s always all hands on deck - with staff busying away behind the scenes to create a well-oiled machine at the customer-facing end.

People choose to volunteer for many different reasons – some want to learn new transferable skills or put existing ones to good use. Some want to make new friends or make a difference to their local community and the wider world. Whatever your reasons, each store provides a welcoming and supporting environment for passionate people willing to lend a hand… and, you’ll certainly get plenty of exercise running up and down the stairs over the shop’s four floors.

TV presenter Miquita Oliver and musicians Shaun Ryder and Mystery Jets have all donated their time to Give A Shift, so why not become a volunteer too and you’ll join a powerful, global movement united by one goal – an end to poverty, for everyone.

As I kick off my shoes at the end of this busy day, believe me, there's no better festive feeling than knowing you've played a small part in making a big difference.

oxfam.org.uk