CHARITY founder Ian Jones has issued a desperate plea for help to store medical and school equipment destined for The Gambia.

Ian and his wife Glynn have built four nursery schools in the country through their charity Shine Africa.

They raise money to help pay staff wages at the schools, ship out containers of educational equipment and books and provide mosquito nets for children.

They also send out clothing, and donate unwanted medical equipment for hospitals in The Gambia. Items not suitable to be sent out are sold to raise money for teachers’ wages.

A new home is urgently needed for the donated items as the current storage base in Northwich is in the process of being sold.

A plea for help through the Guardian last month failed to attract any storage offers, and Ian has renewed his plea this week to prevent him having to send the majority of the items to a landfill site.

“I am moving the most difficult items to get hold of to my house, but the shed and garage are full and the loft will also soon be full up,” said Ian, from Weaverham.

“We are really desperate now, and if I cannot find anywhere to store the items between 60 and 70 per cent of it will have to go.

“I will be very upset when it comes to having to skip everything I cannot store at home, especially as people donated things in the hope that they would be used wisely.

“I will have to ring up a skip company and get the things taken to landfill, which is the really sad thing about it, and it could cost anything up to £500 to have it taken away.

“If someone has a garage which they are not using for the next few months it would provide us with a stop gap until we find somewhere long term, and I live in hope that someone can help us.”

If anyone can offer help please call Ian on 077148 24822 or email ianshineafrica@gmail.com.

The charity also has a facebook page, Shine Africa The Gambia.