Salvos Stores Partnering with Remote Communities: Wiluna Op Shop

Salvos Stores acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which Wiluna, and its new op shop, stand - the Martu people. We pay our respect to Martu elders, past and present. The Wiluna op shop project is being undertaken with permission from and in partnership with the Martu people. Salvos Stores are committed to prioritising and nurturing this partnership as the project continues.

Over the past couple of months, our Northern WA store teams have been working on a project in the Western Australia town of Wiluna to assist local Martu women in gaining retail experience.

Located in remote WA, the township of Wiluna’s nearest large shop is a 5 hour drive away, meaning that access to clothing shops is scarce and opportunities for retail employment are non-existent. When the opportunity arose to help fix this problem, WA North Area Manager Cheryl McDonnell and her team "jumped at the opportunity to assist."

With Salvos Stores providing clothing suitable for locals to use and sell and Wiluna Mining Corp providing the retail space, the Wiluna community has been able to open a small op shop 2-3 days a week. Through the new op shop, local women can learn retail skills with the added benefit of offering locals affordable clothing.

To get the shop up and running, Salvos Stores provided 35 bags of stock, which is now available for purchase in the community. In addition to the hands-on working experience for local women, the Wiluna op shop is able to provide work experience opportunities to high school students. The profits from the store will be used to employ local youth to assist in the shop, as well as stocking the store with new items such as underwear and socks.

Of the 35 bags of stock Salvos provided, nothing has gone to waste. After the local team sorted through the items, clothing that was suitable for the community to wear was put into the shop for sale. Additionally, some women’s formal wear was donated to the local Department of Child Protection Office for their women’s program and the local Fijian community received formal pants and men’s shirts for those in need.

All of the leftover items have been donated to the local high school and repurposed in sewing classes. The team's efforts to ensure that no stock went to landfill makes the project a great example of how circularity and community relationship-building can go hand in hand.

The shop has become a hub for the town and encourages women who have been through trauma to engage with and become part of their community. The Wiluna community has loved the addition and it has assisted in great conversations around further community and economic development.

‘We will continue to support the Wiluna community to provide valuable work experience and engage with the community. You never know how even small conversations and offers of assistance can benefit a whole community, one life at a time!’ said Cheryl.

Salvos Stores are proud to have been involved in such an amazing project and hope to see our partnership with the Martu people, and the entire Wiluna community, continue into the future!