A NEW pop-up volunteer centre has been set up in Minehead Library.

Somerset County Councillors Terry Venner and Christine Lawrence allocated part of their health and wellbeing budgets to promote the new volunteer matching service with Engage West Somerset.

Engage chief officer, Katrina Midgley said: “We are extremely grateful to Cllrs Lawrence and Venner for allocating part of their Health and Wellbeing budgets to help us promote volunteering in this way.

“Engage has been running volunteer centres from libraries in Taunton Deane for some time, and this funding will enable us to gauge the demand for this kind of provision in Minehead.”

Cllr Venner said he was delighted to support the initiative.

"As a community, we are very lucky to have so many people willing to be volunteers but we could always use more," he said.

"This is a golden opportunity for anyone who would like to find out more about volunteering and how they can use their skills to help others."

Engage already has a Volunteer Centre, based in Alcombe Village Hall, which matches prospective volunteers with opportunities, either in its own organisation or with other local voluntary groups. The additional session in the library is designed to make volunteering more accessible to people.

Cllr Lawrence added: “The Library is a great place for a pop-up volunteer centre: it is in the centre of Minehead and a very comfortable place to meet and talk about all the volunteering opportunities that are in the local area.”

The new pop-up volunteer centre will be run by Lesley Culverhouse, who will be available at the library from 10am – 12 noon every Thursday until the middle of January 2017. Lesley will also be available at Engage’s base in Alcombe Village Hall between 10am and 12 noon on Tuesdays or at other times by appointment.

Lesley can be contacted on 01643 707123 or 07947 197 602.