A CHARITY bookshop that has given hundreds of pounds to local causes this year is looking for new volunteers.
The Village Bookshop, in Middleton-in-Teesdale, has in recent months dished out cash to 19 local causes ranging from the village’s football and cricket clubs to Eggleston Christmas lights fund. Carnival committees in both villages also received grants.
A significant contribution was given to the Friends of St Mary’s Church, to help towards saving it for future generations. The church has been closed for several years following the discovery of dry rot beneath its floorboards.
Now the bookshop is in need of help from volunteers to ensure it can keep to its daily opening times and continue to raise cash for good causes.
Pauline Black from the bookshop said: “We are finding in the aftermath of Covid we have lost a lot of our volunteers.
“We are getting back but we still need more to come forward and volunteer.”
The charity currently has 19 volunteers but not all can commit to a regular weekly schedule for a shift that runs either from 10am to 1pm, or from 1pm to 4pm.
Ms Black said: “Then you have sickness and holidays.”
The shop, at Market Place, not only sells new and used books, but also sells greetings cards, postcards, and classical music CDs
In addition it sells maps and guides, particularly for visitors.
Ms Black said: “The TIC (Tourist Information Centre) has been closed for the past two years. If you are local, as I am, you can try and help visitors who want information about the area.”
The bookshop also serves as an outlet for local authors, guide producers and photographers.
Ms Black said: “Anything local to this area flies out as fast as it comes in.”
People who wish to help out at the bookshop can pop in during opening hours and leave their name and contact details.
Groups in the Forest and Frith, Middleton-in-Teesdale and Eggleston which would like to apply for a grant can also leave their details at the bookshop.
Ms Black said the Christmas range had just arrived and would be put out in the coming days.
She said: “Because we don’t have a Post Office, just the one at Utass, the only places you can get greetings cads is here and the newsagents.”
