THE ribbon to the newly refurbished volunteer kitchen at a Chippenham recycling charity has been cut by the High Sheriff of Wiltshire.

Lady Penelope Marland visited the showroom of Waste Not Want Not, on Hungerdown Lane, who restore and sell furniture to those on low incomes, last Thursday to open the kitchen, which has been named Frank’s Diner in honour of the charity’s oldest volunteer, Frank Bamber, who died last year.

Since opening in 2002, Waste Not Want Not has helped over 30,000 people to create more comfortable homes and in the process helped reduce landfill by an average of 75 tonnes per year.

“Frank was a volunteer here for about eight years,” project manager Phil Reade said.

“He first came round to see if there was a piece of wood he could use for a project but he came back and worked as our workshop supervisor for a while and then helped fix and restore furniture which needed some love and attention.

“He made a huge impact here by passing on his carpentry skills to younger

volunteers and lending an ear to anyone who asked for advice.

“His example embodies the very best of what volunteering is about.”

The kitchen, which was moved from upstairs to the back of the showroom, was just one part of the charity that the High Sheriff took an interest in.

“It was lovely for Penny to visit us and she put everyone at ease straight away,” Mr Reade added.

“It was quite a privilege for us to have her here, especially as she showed such an interest in the charity, and we showed her around the showroom and she spoke to the volunteers before cutting the ribbon and opening the new kitchen for the volunteers.

“We pride ourselves on being able to help those in need, from the homeless to survivors of domestic abuse, and I think that’s one of our biggest differences between other charities who collect furniture for free.

“They tend to sell it for as much as they can, whereas we cover our running costs of about £20,000-25,000 each year, just so that we can keep the prices low and help those with an income of less than £25,000.

“We also pride ourselves on taking on volunteers from all walks of life and backgrounds.”

Anyone wanting to donate their furniture or white goods to the charity can call 01249 447140 or email wnwn303@aol.com.