A man who volunteers for a homelessness charity has shared his experiences in hopes of gaining more recruits.

Jim Wilkinson, who works as a delivery driver for the charity Emmaus Hertfordshire, is encouraging others to help the worthy cause.

Mr Wilkinson joined the charity after he retired from a career in the IT industry and now donates his time to aid the support of rough sleepers who want to rebuild their lives.

He said: “I always knew that I wanted to find a local cause to support when I retired.

“When I read about the work of Emmaus Hertfordshire, I approached them right away to see if they had any vacancies and I now volunteer twice a week as a delivery driver.”

Emmaus Hertfordshire has six shops across the county filled with second hand furniture, electrical items and goods that Mr Wilkinson helps to deliver and collect.

Mr Wilkinson added: “I have learned a lot since taking on this role. Before, I wasn’t appreciative of the reasons that people can become homeless and the possible situations surrounding their situation.

“I now have a greater understanding of homelessness after spending time with people that have experienced it.”

The charity provides various volunteering roles including textile sorters, sale assistants, van crew and antiques researcher and Emmaus is looking for volunteers to help at least half a day a week.

Mr Wilkinson said: “My role has been extremely rewarding and my win is getting something out of giving something back, there’s a feel-good factor to it.

“My favourite part is meeting and spending time with all different characters in the community and my days here are always very entertaining with a lot of funny moments.”

Emmaus shops cover areas from Barnet to St Albans and Mr Wilkinson says he receives a lot in return through his charity work.

He added: “Donating to Emmaus isn’t just about giving items or money blindly. It directly supports the community and helps to give people a way back into a structured life and new work experience.

“It is something that I’m extremely proud to be involved in.”

To find out more about the available volunteering roles at Emmaus Hertfordshire visit www.emmaus.org.uk/hertfordshire/get_involved or email community@emmausstalbans.eu.