FROM keeping things ticking over to recognising treasures among the trash, or just being a smiling face on a gloomy day, there is many a job to take on in one of Bolton's biggest charities.

Bolton Hospice has been running a number of charity shops in the town for five years.

Residents from across Bolton can be found behind the shop doors helping to keep them going by giving up their own time to help out.

For the charity's 25th birthday some of the dedicated team have shared what life is like for a volunteer.

Munawar Akhtar has been volunteering for two years to gain work experience.

The 38-year-old from Farnworth joined up to because he wanted to support a local charity and also gain work experience.

He said: "My daily duties at the shop are sorting through the new donations, pricing, and putting the new items out on the shop floor. I’m the organiser on shift!

"I like seeing the range of donations that come in every day and I especially enjoy meeting new people every week. I’ve met lots of lovely people since I started volunteering and I always look forward to coming in

"Volunteering has helped me gain more confidence, given me great retail experience, and I’ve met a lot of new friends."

The hospice opened its tenth shop in January last year and has stores located all across the borough of Bolton, selling donated items such as clothes, toys and books and furniture and homeware at their Furniture Plus shop on Manchester Road.

Volunteers usually work once a week on three-hour shifts, either from 10am to 1pm or 1pm to 4pm, and receive training, on-going support and relevant travel expenses.

They can get involved in anything from sorting goods, customer service, operating the till, shop floor display, joinery, moving furniture, checking bikes and prams or just a good general all-rounder.

Over in the Chorley Old Road store, 88-year-old Katie Knowles from Heaton has been volunteering for as long as the hospice has been going and has no plans to give it up yet.

She added: "I will continue as long as I live! The main benefit of volunteering is the pleasure you get out of meeting people and the knowledge you are working for a charity. Plus when living alone, it is as much for your own benefit to be doing it as it benefits the hospice."

The aim of the charity shops is to provide a regular and sustainable source of income that supports the work of the hospice.

Head of retail at Bolton Hospice, Cathy Wright explained: "As always our aim is to keep costs low and profits high, meaning the money we raise in our shops is spent where it needs to be spent – on hospice care!

"The best way we can do this is to use the skills of volunteers in our charity shops, we are always amazed at the end of each week when we can reflect on the productive week we have had and feel rewarded with the revenue we have raised for the hospice."

Since the increase of shops from six to ten, the hospice has struggled during the summer holidays to fully staff the shops with volunteers.

Anyone interested in building up their CV or just making a difference to the hospice is asked to consider volunteering.

To find your nearest shop for an application form visit www.boltonhospice.org.uk, or for more information contact Cathy on 01204 663 063 or email shopsco-ordinator@boltonhospice.org.