AS MOUNTBATTEN reopens its shops across the Isle of Wight, the charity is putting out a call for volunteers who have time to spare over the summer.

With the coronavirus pandemic and government guidelines rendering some of its regular volunteers unable to return to their roles, some of the charity’s shops have been left without their usual support.

Flexible shifts are available and there are no set hours for volunteering, though a minimum of one half-day (four hours) a week is preferred.

There is a wide choice of locations available, with a Mountbatten shop reopening throughout the next few weeks on nearly every Island high street.

Kath Bright, retail operations manager for Mountbatten, said: “We are really in need of some extra help over the coming months ­— particularly to operate the tills and welcome back our customers.

“Perhaps you’ve been furloughed and are looking for a worthwhile role before returning to work, or maybe you have finished your A-levels and have some spare time before going to university.

"Whatever your situation, if you’re 16 or older and enjoy meeting people, we would love to hear from you."

Taster sessions are also available for those who are interested in finding out more about what is involved in volunteering with Mountbatten.

New layouts and processes are in place in all of Mountbatten’s shops to protect customers, staff and volunteers.

This includes one-way systems to support social distancing, screens at till areas, hand sanitisation stations at entrances and limits on the number of people allowed into each shop.

All donations are also held in quarantine for 72 hours at Mountbatten’s warehouse before they are distributed for sale to the charity’s network of shops.

For more information and to sign up, you can:

• Pop into your local Mountbatten shop and chat to the manager (visit Mountbatten's website to find out when your local shop is reopening)

• Complete a form on Mountbatten’s website to register your interest

• Contact Sally List, Mountbatten volunteering lead, on 01983 217368