A NEW shop where everything is shared rather than sold has opened its doors in Liskeard.

The Share Hub on Pike Street is being run by Liskeard Community Action (LCA) volunteers.

Good quality pre-loved clothes and toys for children are currently the mainstay of the hub, and there is a community freezer, where fresh food such as meat, fruit and vegetables destined for landfill is intercepted and frozen while still perfectly good to eat.

Anyone coming into the airy shop will be greeted by a friendly face, and there’s a soft play area to keep small children occupied while parents browse the colourful racks of clothing.

People visiting the Share Hub this week for the first time were a bit taken aback to discover that there is no charge for the things on display - items are free, or ‘pay as you feel’ with a donation.

The aim is to support families living on a low income - but the hub is also there to encourage the recycling and swapping of items as an alternative to throwing things away.

Volunteer Sascha Harper knows first-hand how it feels to have to use the Foodbank - as a single mum of six, she says she has had to use it more than once.

She says that the community freezer offers fresh foods and treats such as ice cream that the Foodbank can’t provide - and that there are no referrals needed and no questions asked.

A mural on the wall of the hub says ‘Dynarrgh Onen hag Oll’ - welcome one and all - and this is the ethos running through the project, says volunteer Bryony Main.

‘We love Liskeard, it’s such a great community, and we want to pull together so that no-one’s alone,’ she said.

LCA plans to offer the space for free to groups that wish run workshops or events in exchange for places for participants, and the shop front already plays host to a playgroup session.

The Share Hub is currently funded until September with support from Liverty (Devon and Cornwall Housing), and funding from other local organisations.

Liskeard Community Action hopes to maintain the hub in the longer-term with a further, larger sum of grant funding such as a National Lottery award.

LCA are working closely with the Eden Project’s Share Fair initiative, the Co-op in Liskeard, and the Community Treasure Chest, and traders have supported the project with donations in kind.

The Share Hub is currently open from Mondays - Thursday between 10am - 12 noon, and it’s hoped that more volunteers will come forward to enable longer opening hours.