EIGHT volunteers who have given 171 years of service between them to local charity shop, Oxfam, were celebrated at a special event last week.

Amongst the volunteers honoured was Maureen Ballam, who has given 50 years of service to the charity shop located in the Market Place.
“Maureen vividly remembers her first day as an Oxfam volunteer 50 years ago,” reports fellow Frome Oxfam volunteer Marjorie Morris. “Snow was thick on the ground, and no buses were running, so the experienced staff to ‘show her the ropes’ couldn’t get in.
“A telephone call came, ‘Could she open up and run the shop?’! Not daunted, Maureen walked in from home, collected spare keys from a local estate agent, found a cardboard box for the money and got busy. As because of the weather very few other shops were open, customers flocked in. As the cardboard box got heavier with cash, a kindly pair of respectable-looking customers offered to take the first £200 to the bank for her. Luckily the story has a happy ending – the money reached the bank safely.
“After such a ‘baptism of fire’ Maureen has continued to enjoy 50 years of volunteering for Oxfam. On the whole though she feels her trusty cardboard box might have been easier to cope with than the present-day electronic till!”
The other volunteers celebrated were: Viv Lanfear (30 years), Shirley Smith (26 years), Ann Nockels (25 years), Sheila Smith (13 years), Ben Breaden (10 years), Trevor Clark (11 years), and Jane Bullus (6 years).
Charity shop manager, Sue Merrills, who presented the volunteers with certificates said, “We greatly value the hard work and dedication of all our volunteers but today particularly celebrate those who have shown their long-term commitment to the charity.
“Between them, those receiving certificates have given 171 years’ service. Adding that of more recent volunteers totals over 200 years. We offer our grateful thanks and congratulations to all concerned.”
New volunteers are always extremely welcome in Frome’s Oxfam shop. Please ring 01373 464787 for more information and ask for Sue or Suzanne.