The EACH charity - which has shops in Huntingdon, St Ives and Ely- has launched a campaign to recruit more retail volunteers.

Volunteers have the chance to make a “significant, positive and lasting” contribution to their community by sparing time to support a leading children’s charity.

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) is on the lookout for extra help in its 47 shops across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.

The organisation’s retail operation is a vital source of income to help run its hospices in Milton, near Cambridge, Framingham Earl, near Norwich, and Ipswich.

It relies on voluntary donations and needs to raise £7.8 million this year alone from its shops across the region, in addition to its Retail Distribution Centre, in Thetford.

Volunteers play a crucial role and now EACH is launching its ‘Be the difference’ campaign, to encourage more would-be helpers to step forward and join its team. The initiative started this week and runs until the end of the month.

Posters will be on display in-store and staff and existing volunteers on hand to answer questions and explain more.

“It’s hard to emphasise enough just how special and important our army of loyal, dedicated and selfless volunteers are,” said Hannah Milbourne, EACH’s volunteer services and development manager.

“Quite simply, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without them and now the hope is that we can encourage more people to step forward and join them.

“Some people enjoy serving customers, but others are less keen to use the till and that’s absolutely fine,” she said.

“There are so many other things they can do, including sorting and organising donations and listing eBay items – something that is a particular need for us."

For more information, speak to a member of staff in-store or contact volunteer services on: 01223 205183 or email: volunteerservices@each.org.uk.