Our People
9 July, 2026
A place where people belong
EVERY few months, hundreds of people walk through the doors of Stawell Uniting Church looking for a bargain. Many leave with more than one. But after almost 11 years, the volunteers behind the church’s Pop-Up Shop know that bargains are only part of the reason people keep coming back.
Some come for a cup of tea. Some come for conversation. Some come because they know someone will ask how they are.
In the process, they have quietly created a place where people feel welcome.
“It is foremost in all of our minds and hearts,” Kay Evans said.
“On the day we know people who are reaching out, and we can talk with them.
“We greet many with hugs and give time. They ask after us too. It’s an amazing fellowship.”
Since the first Pop-Up Shop was held in November 2015, the event has raised more than $118,000 for the church while becoming a fixture on the community calendar.
What began with a handful of donated clothes and a simple idea now attracts visitors from across the district every season.
Allison Rasche said the idea was born after clothing left at the church was routinely being sent elsewhere.
“We thought, well, what if we sell some and do a bit of a jumble sale?” she said.
The first event raised just $150.
Today, each Pop-Up Shop routinely raises between $3,000 and $4,000, with almost $15,000 now flowing back into the church each year.
But for the volunteers, the real measure of success has never been the money.
As the shop has grown, so too has the trust placed in it by the community.
Boxes filled with designer clothing, crystal, antiques, paintings, homewares and everyday household items arrive throughout the year.
Occasionally, the generosity catches the volunteers by surprise.
“Sometimes we unpack something and we think, ‘Oh my, this is fantastic’,” Allison said.
“Did the person really want to give that away?
“But they do, and that’s why we like to honour it in the way we display it.”
That sense of responsibility is evident throughout the hall.
Nothing is simply put onto a rack.
Noelene Castle sorts clothing into seasons as it arrives. Garments are washed, pressed and prepared months in advance, while displays are carefully arranged and homewares thoughtfully grouped.
The care given to every donation reflects the respect the volunteers have for the people who entrust them with their belongings.
Noelene believes people recognise that effort.
“Because we’ve created this standard, people are quite willing to share their better goods,” she said.
Allison said preparing each Pop-Up Shop has become an unexpected creative outlet.
“It’s an outlet for our creativity a little bit with display,” she said.
Preparing each sale takes weeks rather than days, with spare bedrooms becoming temporary storerooms as donations are sorted, cleaned and organised.
The volunteers laugh their way through the work, sharing plenty of banter along the way.
Over the years those working relationships have become close friendships.
“We’ve developed friendships amongst ourselves and with others, so that’s been a blessing,” Allison said.
“We’ve lost people along the way, and that’s been tricky, but we’ve all faced it together.”
Originally held every month, the Pop-Up Shop moved to a seasonal format around the COVID period, reducing the workload while allowing volunteers to maintain the standard that had become its hallmark.
Rather than disappearing during the pandemic, the volunteers adapted by maintaining smaller displays inside the church so people could continue browsing whenever the building was open.
Kay believes the Pop-Up Shop’s best years may still be ahead.
“I think it’s on the brink of just flourishing even more,” she said.
“I think it’s really about to blossom.”
Its future, however, still depends on the generosity of the community.
Very little goes to waste. Coats are passed on to organisations supporting vulnerable people, wool finds its way to local knitters, blankets are given to people in need and surplus goods are shared with other Uniting Church communities.
The spirit of hospitality extends well beyond the sale tables.
Visitors are welcomed with time, conversation, homemade morning tea, free seasonal produce and live piano music.
Allison said making people feel comfortable entering a church had always been part of the vision.
“It’s nice for people to feel comfortable coming into a church,” she said.
“Some people are lonely, so they really look forward to a happy morning.”
The next Stawell Uniting Church Pop-Up Shop will be held on Saturday, August 29.
There will be bargains, homemade cakes, live music, plants and tables filled with conversation, just as there have been for almost 11 years.
Before the morning is over, someone will almost certainly stay longer than they intended, catch up with an old friend, meet somebody new or simply enjoy being there.
For Kay, those are the moments the volunteers have come to value most.
“There’s really lovely moments tucked in amongst all this.”
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