A CARDIGAN charity shop is in urgent need of more volunteers.

The Oxfam shop on the town’s High Street is desperately short of volunteer staff and manager Diane Walsh is appealing for help.

“We need responsible people who can work unsupervised and independently,” said Diane.

“We already have a fantastic team of volunteers here who are totally committed to what we do but we do not have enough and they are being stretched to the limit.”

The Oxfam team is down on numbers after some left to go to university, others to a paid job or other commitments.

“That has left a big hole in the volunteer team and is the one barrier to the further success of the shop here,” added Diane.

“I realise people have a lot of calls on their time and I understand some may want paid employment but the work can be so rewarding and is all towards such a good cause.

“Oxfam does not just benefit people overseas but also does a fantastic amount of work in the UK and we could do a lot more in the local community if we had more staff.”

The shop currently has volunteers aged from 14 to 91, though if you are of school age you will need written permission from a parent or guardian. Volunteers can work from as little as four hours a week which would be a half-day shift and you do not have to have any experience in a retail environment.

“We have plenty of roles to offer from filling shelves, dealing with customers and operating the till to backroom jobs such as stock control and getting our message out there through IT,” said Diane.

“It stands you in good stead if you are looking to improve your CV or looking to return to work and regaining confidence after a spell out of employment. You will also have the chance to make new friends.

“We have people who have been volunteering here for many years and a vast spectrum of experience. What you can give us in time such as four hours can help feed a family for a month.”

The shop is always keen to accept donations but wants people to think about what they drop off.

“It costs us time and money to sort donations and to get rid of stuff such as broken electrical items, worn and dirty clothing and the like,” added Diane.

“Our rubbish disposal bill last year was £1,700 and we could use that money to help so many more people.”

For more information about volunteering, contact manager Diane Walsh or deputy manager Rosie Fenn on 01239 615352, email oxfamshopf5113@oxfam.org.uk or simply pop into the shop.