Cornwall Hospice Care is calling for “local heroes” to work in their Penzance and St Ives shops as part of a national drive for volunteers.

The charity hopes to encourage more people to get involved in its shops, hospices and to help fundraise, as the 30th anniversary of National Volunteers’ Week (June 1 to 7) approaches.

Despite the charity having an “army” of more than 1,000 volunteers at their shops and hospices throughout Cornwall, the hospice shops in Penzance and St Ives urgently need more help to continue to support the hospices, which cost around £14 a minute to run.

Margaret Weirs, am 80-year-old volunteer in Hayle for over 14 years, said she would advise everyone to consider volunteering.

She said: “Come and join us. Go out there and do things to help others in the community. You can get so much out of giving a little of your time.”

The charity’s work providing specialist palliative care to people with life limiting illnesses has touched the lives of many people across the county.

All their services are provided free of charge yet it costs more than £7.5 million to run just the two hospices, with less than 15 per cent of the charity’s income from Government funds.

Support and generosity of the public both in donating and donating time is integral to its survival especially within the struggling local shops.

“Our charity just couldn’t operate without volunteers,” said volunteer services co-ordinator, Becky Rust who encouraged anyone in the area with free time to sign up.

“Anyone can be a shop volunteer. Age is no barrier, and there’s a role for everyone from quietly sorting out donated items in the back room, to serving customers front of house.”

Cornwall Hospice Care will be prominent throughout Volunteers’ Week with a shop at the Royal Cornwall Show in Wadebridge as well as attending Penwith Volunteer Bureau’s week long recruitment event on the Monday and Thursday morning of that week, at a pop-up shop in Market Jew Street, Penzance just two minutes walk away from the charity shop.

Potential volunteers can get more information about the many roles available at Cornwall Hospice Care on the charity’s website, www.cornwallhospicecare.co.uk , or by telephoning Becky on 07717 892166.