Come forward and help us, says BHF

Mar 6 2013 by Our Correspondent, Heswall News

A DEDICATED volunteer who suffers from a heart problem has appealed for more people to come forward and support the charity shop where he works.

Steve Williams, 58, from Birkenhead, has been working at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Furniture and Electrical Store at The Grange and Pyramids Shopping Centre for two years after being made redundant from his job in a call centre.

He is there four days a week answering the phone to organise the drop off and collection of items donated to the store.

Steve said: “I just saw an advert in the window asking for volunteers and I asked if I could do a couple of hours and it has just grown from there.

“The work which the BHF does is very, very valuable to so many people so I feel pleased to do my bit to support the charity.

“Heart disease is one of the biggest killers and if we can fund the research to find better cures, then it will be helping thousands and thousands of people.”

Store manager, Sue Reid, added “Without our volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to open our doors so they are not just important, they are vital.

“We do have six paid members of staff but we are so busy here all of the time, that we need our volunteers to function and it is as simple as that.

“There are different roles which people can take on from manning the tills to working in the warehouse helping to bring all the donations in.

“We are particularly looking for more people like Steve who are confident about taking phone calls from the public and dealing with whatever they happen to ask.

“It is not a role for everyone but it is a very important one here and it would be terrific to find a few more people to help us with this.”

To contact the store about donating an item or your time and skills as a volunteer, call 0844 248 9104 or drop into the store at The Grange and Pyramids Shopping Centre.