HOMELESS charity Harp was recognised for its voluntary work at this year’s Essex Who Will Care? Awards after one of its volunteers nominated the team.

Harp, based in Southend, has about 60 volunteers who help in a variety of ways from working in charity shops to helping homeless people move off the streets.

As a result, many of their volunteers go on to work permanently for Harp due to the experience of working with the team.

Robbie Norton, 31, from Leigh, decided to volunteer after he found a homeless man living on his street and he felt that he should do something to help.

He helps at the Harp charity shop in Hamlet Court Road and helps support the charity to raise vital funds. In fact, he loves volunteering so much he nominated Harp for the Voluntary Team Award. He said: “I enjoy helping out at the charity shop every Friday morning and I thought Harp deserved an award, so I nominated them!”

Joanne Dear, Volunteer Coordinator at Harp, said: “Harp was built on a foundation of voluntary action and our volunteers make such a difference.”