A VOLUNTEER at Hexham’s Oxfam shops has made more than 7,000 reusable bags to raise money for those in poverty around the world.

Nancy Potts, 91, started making the 99p bags over 10 years ago.

Hexham’s Oxfam had decided to not sell plastic bags anymore, and so they came up with the idea of making re-usable alternatives.

Referred to as ‘Nancy Bags’ by staff and customers alike, they are made of textiles which have been donated to the shop, such as duvet covers and curtains.

Jane Eccles, deputy manager at the shops, said: “It’s curtains that we just wouldn’t sell in the shop. They might have a stain, or a rip, or a few strays on one side, so there’s nothing wrong with the bulk of the material.

“She [Nancy] just cuts that bit off and then she can see what she can make out of it.”

Jane said Nancy makes around 20-30 bags a week at her home.

The bags are made with a high attention to detail, for example Nancy always matches the colour of the stitch to the design and “irons every single one”, Jane said.

As for how long it takes Nancy to make each one, Jane said: “She’s 7,000 in, she can probably do it in her sleep by now.”

Nancy, who lives in Acomb, has volunteered at Oxfam for nearly 30 years.

“She’s been an integral part of our volunteering team for such a long time,” said Jane.

“I started as a volunteer and I used to purposely come in on the days she was in, just because she’s lush.”

Although Nancy stopped volunteering in the shops during lockdown, she continued to make the bags.

“We really missed having her in the shop, but she’s back which is really good,” said Jane.

The bags are available to buy in both the Oxfam shops on Battle Hill in Hexham.