THOSE who want to support the Wiltshire Air Ambulance in Devizes will have an easy way of helping within the next few weeks.

The charity is about to open a new charity shop in Maryport Street to add to its already successful one in Westbury.

Claire Kelly, of Wiltshire Air Ambulance, said: “We are delighted to be opening a charity shop in Devizes.

"We have a lot of support from people in Devizes and the surrounding area as our helicopter has been based in Devizes since it started operating over 25 years ago.

“We looked at about seven potential shop units before we decided on 2 Maryport Street. It is ideal due to its location in the town centre shopping area, directly opposite the top of The Brittox. There are also good drop off areas near the shop for people driving and who wish to donate items.”

Income raised from the new shop will provide a regular source of revenue to the charity. The shop will sell clothes, bric a brac, books, furniture and a small selection of WAA merchandise.

Fitting out the shop, gathering stock and recruiting local volunteers are the immediate priorities for WAA.

Ms Kelly said: “We would like to recruit between 30 and 40 volunteers to work in the shop on a rota basis to carry out tasks such as sorting donated goods, folding, preparing things to be sold and serving customers.

"Volunteers will be ambassadors for Wiltshire Air Ambulance and so we are looking for people who will give excellent customer service. There is no minimum time commitment. If you can only spare a few hours we are interested in hearing from you.”

The air ambulance costs £3.25 million a year to keep flying and it depends almost entirely on public donations as it received no central government funding.

At the moment it is based at police headquarters in Devizes but Wiltshire Air Ambulance is working on plans to build a new home to bring its aircrew and charity team onto one site in a central location.

It has been granted outline planning permission for its preferred site on land at Outmarsh Farm, Semington, near Melksham, and is now working on detailed plans for the site.

For more information on becoming a shop volunteer, email hello@wiltshireairambulance.co.uk or call the charity team on 01380 739453.