Sounds like a riddle doesn’t it? Here’s another saying: ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’. What seems useless to you, might be just what someone else is looking for.

Well, this happens right here in Messines, every second Saturday of the month from 10am-1.00pm - the ‘Table Top Sale’ for the Arm-in-Arm Charity. They take a break in July and August, so make a note in your diary of the next sale, Saturday 14th September. Anita Kersey ensures the bookings go smoothly, and volunteers, Mandy, Val, Bridget and Nicky, amongst others, spend a huge amount of time and effort organising on-sale days. You can donate your unwanted goods for resale, with the profit going to the Bombeiros, needy families or special causes. This year, funds are being raised to send the local Scouts on a group holiday; last year money was raised to kit out the Bombeiros ladies’ quarters with around 29 beds plus all the bedding needed, and in between, special cases for charity might arise, which could be as simple as providing a fridge to a needy family, or a bicycle for someone with a job but no transport. They even sponsored 50 school backpacks last year for children whose families were struggling to make ends meet or might provide much-needed equipment for the Bombeiros themselves. Volunteers are busy behind the scenes in the weeks preceding the sale day, sorting through donated items to make sure they are clean and worth selling.

Run by Volunteers

Oh, don’t think this is just another second-hand market – it certainly isn’t. I went to their June sale and found it in full swing, and there were as many brand-new items as there were second-hand ones. Some of the stallholders are crafters - making dainty knitted items, beautiful hand-made cards, delightful unique one-off pieces of decorated pottery, hand-made jewellery pieces, splendid hand-cut wooden ornaments, jams of the season or recycled fabrics made into one-off shopping bags. In addition to rails of clothing and tables full of knick-knacks, there is a raffle on the day, and prizes can be anything from a donated item from a stallholder to a bottle of wine.

Profits

It costs the stallholders a mere €7 to ‘rent a table’ for the day - even less if they bring their own tables - and there could be as many as 25 tables doing business, so plenty of goodies for browsing. Held in the shady outside dining area of Roosters Pub on the N270 just outside Messines, Roosters kindly open for coffees and meals - somewhere for refreshments before setting off for home! Some stallholders donate all their profits, others are selling for themselves, but anything raised for the charity is a big plus. ‘The Barn’ is a charity shop that is right next to Roosters, and is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 11am-2pm, and Sundays 11am-3.00pm.

The Arm in Arm Charity also has a shop in Messines, where Ricky Dee - the Charity’s President and founder, works tirelessly as their long-term organiser, taking charge of the bigger items – anything from fridges to beds, tables and chairs, even arranging house clearances if necessary. A van donated to their cause has been invaluable, and if you are updating your home and want to get rid of a perfectly good sofa for instance, he is the one to contact, or if you have knowledge of a family needing help furnishing their home, Ricky could probably find everything required in the store.

Gifts Galore

This monthly sale is a goldmine for a bargain, and even though you might have to go out of your way to get there, there is plenty of parking and bargains to be had. Volunteers are dedicated in their efforts to raise money and should be applauded for the good they do, and new faces to help run things are always welcome. Christmas is just around the corner, and many of the stalls will be introducing seasonal goodies from September onwards.

For further information on donating, selling or volunteering, contact Anita at: Kersey_46@hotmail.com

Author

Marilyn writes regularly for The Portugal News, and has lived in the Algarve for some years. A dog-lover, she has lived in Ireland, UK, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. 

Marilyn Sheridan