A Somerset volunteer is encouraging people to make a New Year’s Resolution to help vulnerable children by sparing just a few hours of their time each week.

Clancy Blandford, from Midsomer Norton, is a regular volunteer at the Barnardo’s store in the town centre. She donates around fifteen hours each week, totalling around 3,500 hours of unpaid support since she joined in the summer of 2013. Now, four years later, Barnardo’s has helped her to achieve several important qualifications which will help in her search for employment.

Clancy worked in hotel management but took a career break to look after her three children. She said: “I used to be a regular customer at the Barnardo’s store and always liked how the team were so friendly; so I was very interested when they said they were looking for some extra help.

“I hadn’t volunteered before but it was a great way to get to know people and I’ve made some really nice friends. I like being on the shopfloor and serving on the till, so that I can interact with the customers, but I also help with sorting the stock.

“You never know what you’re going to receive. One day I opened a bag and realised that someone had accidentally delivered their household rubbish instead of their donations – they must have been in a rush!”

Clancy added: “Volunteering is a lot of fun, and a really good way to build self-confidence and gain some work experience, which is invaluable for people who are unemployed or wanting to return to work after a break. It was a nice surprise when the charity told me that I was eligible for free training because of the number of hours that I support them.

“I’ve already achieved a diploma in retail skills, and certificates in customer service and team-leading, but I’m hoping to progress on to more advanced courses so that I can eventually look for paid work in retail sales. It opens up so many new opportunities. But the best thing is that I’m helping to raise money for vulnerable children.”

Barnardo’s Manager, Maria Collins, said: “Clancy is a really hardworking member of the team, and has an excellent rapport with the customers. It’s a pleasure to work with her. We hope that sharing her experience of volunteering will encourage others to support our fundraising efforts.”