AFTER closing its Midland store in May 2022 due to the location becoming unfit for purpose, Good Sammy has since been refurbished and officially reopened this week under new ownership.

At the official opening Good Sammy chief executive officer Kane Blackman said the original decision to close was not an easy one due to Midland’s engaged community.

“Two and a half years ago when we shut the store because of safety concerns, we were disappointed and the community was upset that we had left,” he said.

“One of the tough things I had to do when I started in the job three years ago was to shut this store.

“We had very strong stakeholder relationships here, huge number of donations.

“The team told me that the store was shut for 16 days across summer.

“When I asked why, they said that the air conditioning didn’t work and it was too hot here for staff and customers, so they shut the store.

“I asked why we didn’t ask the landlord to please fix the air conditioning, and they said the landlord would not.

“Then winter came and then the store leaked water through into buckets on the floor as well.

“Due to the concern that we had with the air conditioning, with the water coming through with the potential asbestos in the ceiling, we decided that it was no longer a safe environment for Good Sammy and we left Midland.

“We’ve been on a big search for two years to find a space back in Midland and we were absolutely excited when our old store became available with a fresh renovation and those concerns were addressed.

“The other unique thing about the Midland area for us is there is a large number of people who have a disability and are seeking employment.

“We hope to reach out to that community and find opportunities for them to come in and reach out to local schools to find opportunities to deliver work experience, volunteering and training.”

Midland resident and Good Sammy employee Elizabeth Ellis, who is living with dyslexia, has been working at Good Sammy for 16 years and said her nerves had melted away during her time being employed.

“A lady came in to do work experience with some kids and came back to school and told me there was a job going here and I got the job straight away,” she said.

“It was so long ago but I was really scared to come in.

“I was 18 when I started here down the little store down the road.

“I was working at the front – the first two weeks they got me straight on the till, straight to doing everything.”

Aside from the reading side of work, Ms Ellis said dyslexia was no barrier to her employment and shifting into e-commerce at Good Sammy wasn’t difficult.

“Hasn’t been too hard,” she said.

“You’re not in a store full of customers and you don’t deal with donations.

“You’re just doing more computer work, photographing and all other stuff.”

Good Sammy’s disability employment frequently asked questions web page section explained every new employee with a disability is placed with a Good Sammy mentor.

This is funded through the individual’s NDIS plan and mentors are to provide individual, on-the-job assistance to help new employees learn and get familiarised with the role.

Those who aren’t NDIS participants may need to pay for Good Sammy support services up-front.