A DEVOTED volunteer who has worked at a charity shop in Bedminster for nearly 20 years has been singled out for special praise by her manager.
Jenny Anstey, 81, takes great pleasure in putting in three shifts every week at the Age UK shop in East Street.
Working behind the till, the former nurse has developed a great relationship with colleagues and customers over the years.
The shop's manager Tony Sadler believes the great-grandmother is a perfect example of a great volunteer and deserves recognition.
He said: "She's really good with the customers and does extra hours if we need her to. She's just a real trooper and we couldn't run the shop without her.
"I want people to read about the hard work she does for the shop. I'm so pleased she's here with us, helping out. She's an example to anyone who wants to go into volunteering and has shown that you are never too old."
Ms Anstey believes what she does is nothing out of the ordinary.
The pensioner, who lives in Bedminster, began working at the shop 19 years ago after retiring from her job as an auxiliary nurse at Keynsham Hospital.
The mother-of-three does three five-hour shifts at the shop in Imperial Arcade each week.
Ms Anstey said: "I keep telling the women who say they are lonely to do what I'm doing. Most of us in the shop have all been there for years because we like it and we've had good managers and manageresses.
"If you didn't like it, you wouldn't stick with it. But I love it.
"I'm on the till and I sort out the clothes and do all sorts. The shop sells everything from children's stuff to men's stuff, household things and a lot of new goods."
Glasgow-born Ms Anstey says she has a good rapport with customers, many of whom are regulars.
She said: "People come in and say 'Hello, Jenny' and tell me about their history."
Ms Anstey says she has no plans to quit her volunteering work just yet.
She said: "At my age, a lot of people think they couldn't do it. But one lady who worked in the shop died last year and she was 90.
"Tony says I might be in there until I'm 90 but I doubt it. I couldn't say how long I will carry on working here."
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