A charity working with adults with learning disabilities is expanding by opening a large shop on a retail park – but it needs plenty of stock and volunteers to keep it successful.

Gary Pedley, chief officer of the Keighley and District Volunteers Centre, said he was feeling excitement and trepidation about the opening of the shop, at the Baildon Bridge Retail Park, Shipley.

“We’ve had the shop for about two or three months, but it’s taken that time to stock it and get it in order because it’s so large,” he said.

“My worry is that we’ll have a really good first week, and then the shop will look empty!”

Mr Pedley said any stock, but especially furniture, would be gratefully received.

It is hoped the development, which also includes a recycling centre, will give greater opportunities to the people it works with who will volunteer there, learning new skills.

The charity has a shop in Keighley with about 40 volunteers but Mr Pedley said the new venture would be able to support many more.

“It’s not simply focused on making money, it’s about individuals’ involvement,” he said.

“The focus is on services for people with learning disabilities, and all the income goes towards teaching life skills and teaching jobs skills.”

Users of the charity also help by distributing letters and charity bags for doorstep collections, which Mr Pedley said were a good source of donations.

“This is about local goods, going to local people. One hundred per cent is going back to the local community for people with learning disabilities,” he said.

Stock donated to the charity can be sorted at the recycling centre and any that cannot be sold will be sent for industrial ragging or to Eastern Europe.

The shop, called 2nd Time Around, will fill a previously empty unit where Odd Bins was based, next to B&M, at the Otley Road park. It will initially be open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Anyone with furniture to donate or interested in volunteering, can call (01535) 609506.