MINEHEAD lifeboat station is looking for people to help with the job of saving lives at sea - but without leaving the safety of the land.

RNLI officials are keen to recruit more volunteers to run the station shop which plays a vital part in local fundraising.

The shop is due to reopen in early April after having been closed for more than a year during work on a £1 million-plus project to enlarge and upgrade the station.

It normally trades through to October and then opens on winter week-ends.  Volunteer sales staff only have to offer two to three hours of their time once a fortnight, either on weekdays or at week-ends.

Together with all the other facilities at the station, from the crew room to workshops, the retail operation has been given a complete make-over.

Newly-appointed manager Steve Parr says it is now a much more pleasant working environment. “Volunteers now even have their own galley next door where they can keep themselves supplied with hot drinks if the weather’s not too kind,” he said.

“The shop normally records around £50,000 in sales every year so it plays a significant role in offsetting the station’s running costs.

“The RNLI has to raise all its funds without any Government support and that means nationally we need to find nearly £3 million every week.

“The shop volunteers are important and valued members of our team, acting as ambassadors for the RNLI and answering visitors’ queries about the station, the boats, and the surrounding area. Speak to any of them and they will tell you what an enjoyable experience it is to work there.

“The volunteers who run it feel very much part of the lifeboat service and for anyone who has moved to the area recently working in the shop is a great way to meet people and make new friends.”

Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Steve Parr on 07498 260768 or at: [email protected]