RSPCA charity shop reopens in Longridge - but they need volunteers.

In a phased reopening of their charity shops, Preston's RSCPA are appealing for new volunteers to join them at the Berry Lane store, after the pandemic left them on the brink of permanent closure.

It's been a scary and uncertain few months for the animal charity, who are slowly opening the doors to their charity shops after the pandemic left them closed since March.

The charity put out an urgent appeal just last month, as their Preston animal shelter sat 'on the brink' of having their doors shut for good.

Charity shops coordinator Claire Russel said a steady flow of donations has given the charity the boost they need to begin reopening shops, but that volunteers are "desperately needed" to help run them.

"We have still got staff on furlough to keep our outgoings as low as possible at the minute, so we do need more hands on support with volunteers," she said.

"Funding still remains our biggest issue, hence why we have the poster in the window appealing for donations. We are not out the woods yet and still want people to help with funding and volunteering where they can.

"In our Longridge shop, we still need volunteers. So far, we are having a good response about our reopening because it has been missed by people in the village."

The independently registered charity hopes to have all their shops in the borough, including Penwortham, open again over the coming months.

The influx in donations has also delayed the reopening of the Longridge store, as goods donated have to be quarantined for 48 hours before they can be steamed and sold on the shop floor.

With only a small team behind them, the Lancashire-based charity have had to delay reopening their doors as they were preparing their stores for social distanced shopping, hand sanitisation and staff PPE.

"Volunteers can do a range of things for us, such as manning the front of house, working the tills and dealing with customer enquiries. We are happy for people to help out with sorting stock if they would rather," said Claire.

"Anyone wanting to join us can come into the shop and express an interest. The manager will give them an application form and they can come in for a trial. We are very flexible with volunteers, if they would like to do a certain job then we will try and accommodate that as best we can. Volunteers can donate anything from a few hours to a full day, we are flexible."

The financial impact and pressure of Covid-19 has hit charities like the RSPCA and accelerated the crisis, meaning that urgent action needs to be taken to save their animals from an uncertain future and continue funding their vital work both in the animal shelters and charity shops.

The pandemic has thrown other blows to the charity, after the national RSPCA announced they will be making up to 300 roles redundant.

Claire Russell previously told the Post that the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak has massively impacted the local charity who were already "struggling under normal circumstances".

Anyone interested in volunteering can call the store on 01772 783025.