DEDICATED volunteers at a Northwich charity shop have clocked up a staggering 250 years combined service.  

Describing themselves as ‘like a family’, the 15 committed staff at the town’s British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) shop on High Street have a wide range of service racked up, ranging from a single month, right up to an incredible 32 years.

Store manager, David Nutton, joined the team in 1995 and has worked alongside volunteers for almost three decades.

The shop first opened its door in 1992, and since then, David says there’s been a lot of changes in the way they do things.

Northwich Guardian: BHF's shop on High Street, Northwich, first opened its doors back in 1992BHF's shop on High Street, Northwich, first opened its doors back in 1992 (Image: Google)

As well as stocking items on the shop floor, the BHF now uses platforms like eBay, Shopiago, and Depop to reach customers, clocking up around 440,000 online sales last year alone.

David said: “We could not run our shop without our team of volunteers. But they’re more that just volunteers - they’re part of the family.

“We now have 32 years of our lovely shop being open and serving the community, and more importantly, raising much valued funds for lifesaving heart research.

“I’ve seen so many changes since I joined the BHF in the nineties, but it’s been wonderful to see the same familiar faces in the shop each day.

“I’ve said it many times, but our shop just couldn’t function without the support of our loyal and wonderful team.

“We would love to hear from anyone who wants to join the Northwich BHF family. We don’t mind whether you can just a few hours, or a few decades.”

One of the volunteers is Helen Donovan, a 58-year-old volunteer with a visual impairment. She started volunteering in the shop once her children were grown up, to meet new people after being a stay-at-home mum.

Helen said, “My visual impairment has made finding paid work difficult at times, so I thought I’d try out volunteering.

“I help sort donations in the stock room, but there are so many roles you can try out, whether it’s chatting with customers or helping on the shop floor.

“As I have a business qualification, I’ve loved understanding how the shop runs and how merchandising helps.

“I get such a buzz out of it, and I’ve now been here for more than ten years.

“If you’re looking to try something new and build connections in your community, I’d definitely recommend volunteering.”