I made my way to the local charity shop and was welcomed by the manager and volunteers and made to feel part of an extended family. Through the volunteers I was asked to join other groups in the village and my life turned round for the better.

Volunteering is fun. Volunteering can also be hard work but rewarding. It is also good exercise. For the less able bodied serving in the shop is equally absorbing.

May I add that Hunmanby boasts some very loyal and generous customers.

It has been mentioned in previous correspondence that volunteers do not have any rights, nor are they protected by employment acts. Why would a volunteer want rights or protection in this area? Volunteers give their time and efforts without condition.

Sadly my time has come to leave Hunmanby to return to West Yorkshire, but before I go I must say a big thank you to everyone at the St Catherine’s Shop in the village for helping me come through a difficult period of my life and finding the joys of volunteering.

Well done girls, and long may you continue to raise funds for such a worthy cause.

If you are thinking of volunteering you will find no happier place. Volunteers are always needed.

You never know, you or someone you know may be in need of help some day.

Gwen Bowen

Cecil Road

Hunmanby