AN urgent appeal for volunteers has been made to join a West Somerset charity which helps people struggling financially by providing furniture and other household equipment at ‘affordable prices’.

The Engage Furniture Store is also looking for local people to join its voluntary board of trustees.

The charity, which operates from the ground floor of Alcombe Village Hall, Minehead, needs shop volunteers to cover gaps in its shifts in September due to sickness and staff holidays.

A spokesperson said: “Please contact us if you have three hours a week to spare and can keep us open during September.

“We need you, and you can join an amazing team of people, make new friends, learn new skills, or simply just fill some time.”

Engage currently also has only four trustees, with its board chaired by former district councillor Benet Allen.

It is particularly hoping to recruit more trustees with experience in human resources, health and safety, finance, IT, and social media.

The spokesperson said: “Our aim is to support and encourage the growth of Engage Furniture Store, and the service it delivers to Minehead and surrounding communities.

“It only takes a few hours a month to benefit the charity and the local community.”

Engage Furniture Store was founded in 2020 with the dual aim of helping people experiencing poverty and also protecting the environment by promoting the re-use of household items rather than seeing them go to landfill.

The charity will collect for free good quality unwanted household items and furniture as well as small electrical goods, garden furniture, and ornaments.

It is a self-funded, non-profit-making organisation and uses the income from people buying from it to fund the costs of running the charity.

Anybody interested in helping should contact the charity by emailing to [email protected] or calling 01643 707484.