Britain’s longest serving volunteer who has raised tens of thousands of pounds for good causes is still working in a charity shop – AGED 97.
Audrey Gerrans started rattling charity collection tins for Save the Children when she was just eight years old in 1931.
Since then, the great-gran has spent her entire life selflessly volunteering and raising cash for charities.
Audrey, a retired medical library assistant, still gives up her Thursday afternoons to work in a charity shop in Leamington Spa, Warks.
She was so devoted to her role she even celebrated her 97th birthday in the Save the Children charity shop last week.
Audrey, who works behind the tills, vowed to carry on volunteering for as long as she can.
She said: “If I’m still around at 100 I’ll keep working at the shop. I love it.
“I’m good with numbers and I really enjoy working the till.
“I come here every Thursday afternoon. It is really three hours fun, not three hours work.
“People are so nice and friendly. I think because they know they are getting such good bargains.
“The staff are also so nice, but we could do with a few more. We need two to open the shop and sometimes when it’s just me we can’t open.
“People seem to like to do their shopping on Thursdays and we are always busy.
“Working on the till keeps my brain ticking and it’s just lovely chatting to our customers.
“My body may be feeling a bit tired these days but my mind is still pretty good. I’ve still got all my marbles, as we say!
“I’m happy to carry on volunteering at the shop because we are short staffed.
“Not so many people have time to do charity work these days which is a pity.
“So few people can afford to work for nothing these days, charity shops are suffering.
“It’s hard for young people to work for free, so I wouldn’t want to pressure them by saying they should do it.
“But we do get some good students who come in their spare time or holidays.
“We could do with some extra people, probably retired over 50s.
“I’m pretty bad on my legs now and have a sit down in between customers.
“I take a few paracetamol to get me through.
“I had my 97th birthday in the shop and wouldn’t it be nice if I could have my 100th there.”
Audrey, who has two grown-up children, seven grand-children and three great-grandchildren, started her charity work when she was a child.
She said: “I’ve volunteered since I was eight and my first volunteering job was at Sunday school when we used to collect for the missionaries.
“I’ve got two books from 1933 and 1934 for getting prizes for raising the most money in those years.
“I used to do people’s house work and look after people’s money.
“My mother said we should do this out of the goodness of our heart and if we got given a penny we should put it in the donation box.
“I’ve always volunteered and worked for lots of charities in Bristol where I used to live.”
Audrey continued her tireless charity work the year after her husband of 53-years Joe, died aged 77 in 1997.
She helped the Arthritis Research shop in Leamington Spa and when it closed she joined the Friends of Warwick Hospital where she volunteered for ten years.
She started working for Save the Children after collecting charity tins for them.
She said: “The lady next door, her daughter used to work for Save the Children and I started collecting the tins for her.
“I did that for quite a few years but the daughter thought it was too cold for me to collect the tins when I got to 90-odd.
“She said I should volunteer in the shop, so I went across one day and said I would help but only if I could do the till.
“It wasn’t out of the goodness of my heart.
“I wanted to help people, but I didn’t want to be stuck in the back pressing clothes and dealing with stock.
“When I started in the shop I was hoping for some company and friends, but it turned out better than that. I never want to give it up.”