ON behalf of my teams of hardworking volunteers in Tavistock and Okehampton, I should like to thank our supporters in West Devon for a super, successful year. Your gifts and support have enabled us to make a huge contribution to overcoming poverty and suffering worldwide. Your generosity and our consequent success is putting pressure on my teams and we are in great need for more willing and committed volunteers for all our shops, including our books and music shop in Tavistock. We have a flexible approach to volunteering and hope we can make the best use of any skills and experience that are offered to us. For all of us, time is a precious commodity and a gift of time is a valuable donation to Oxfam. We have been very grateful for the helpful coverage given by the Times in the past. May I, therefore, through the medium of your newspaper, urge people to volunteer? Time given to us will offer rewarding opportunities for new friendshps, acquiring new skills and knowledge, besides fun and fellowship. Oxfam?s work is continuous, both in emergencies, such as the current catastrophic situation in Darfur/Chad, where Oxfam, in conjunction with other charities, hopes to raise £10-million for relief. Work also continues all over the world and in this country, in development aid in order to lift vulnerable people out of their cycle of poverty and disadvantage. Those wishing to volunteer may contact me, my deputy, Pauline, at Oxfam, Market Street, Tavistock (01822 613901) or me at Oxfam, Fore Street, Okehampton (01837 54675); Mary Andrews, our deputy volunteer manager, at the Oxfam Books and Music shop, 4 North Street, Tavistock, may be telephoned on 01822 616273. We shall be delighted to welcome anyone who feels able to help us. Jacky Theobald Manager Oxfam shops Tavistock and Okehampton