One of Chippenham’s smallest charity shops is to become one of the biggest after the RSPCA takes on the former site of the Giant Party Shop in The Bridge.

The move, set to take place in mid-May, will fill the huge unit, which has been empty since its former occupants relocated to the old Golddiggers nightclub in Timber Street earlier this year.

Co-manager Helen Osborne said there are high hopes for the move.

“The new unit is absolutely massive, much larger then where we are now,” she said.

“Apart from the existing charity furniture shops in the town, which are the British Heart Foundation and the Dorothy House Hospice, this is going to be the biggest. This won’t be another furniture shop, but we will have some furniture towards the back of the store, which will fill up a lot of the space.”

Mrs Osborne said the move should ensure a higher footfall and a larger number of donations.

“We do have a lot of donations already,” she said.

“In fact, we have so many that we can’t put them all out on the shop floor because we have a limited space. We are currently a little bit out of town, and that does have an effect. People don’t necessarily come all the way down New Road to see us, so the hope is that if we’re in a more central location, we’ll have a lot more shoppers wandering in.”

The charity is looking for more volunteers to help run the new shop.

“We’re looking for anyone who can spare a bit of time every week to keep us up and running.” said Mrs Osborne.

“The minimum is a morning or an afternoon once a week, but the times our volunteers can put in are very flexible. We have some who do a few hours each week, and some who prefer to be here much more often. If we didn’t have volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to keep the shop open, and we’re so grateful for the work that they do.”

To volunteer for the RSPCA shop, call (01793) 640136, or visit www.rspcanorthwilts.org.uk for more information.