This weekend’s fair has taken over a whole pavilion at Bathurst Showground, with volunteers working around the clock to ensure everything is ready to go when the event opens on Saturday morning.

This year, six low-security inmates are among the volunteers, and it is an opportunity that the jail taken up since the book fair kicked off five years ago.

Bathurst jail senior overseer community project and works release officer, Scott Keen, said the program is a benefit to inmates and the community.

The inmates are all nearing release and the program gives them an opportunity to make connections in the community as well as assist a local charity.

“They get to meet with community leaders and put back into the community and it gives them a bit of self worth,” Mr Keen said.

This work release program is among a number of supervised and unsupervised programs that Bathurst jail runs for inmates.

Lifeline Central West executive officer Alex Ferguson said the support received from the inmates is invaluable in allowing the charity to continue its work.

The biannual fairs are major fundraisers for the charity and each one raises around $30,000.

Mr Ferguson said every cent raised will go to training and supporting Lifeline’s volunteer crisis supporters who man the charity’s 13 11 14 line 24-hours-a-day.

Lifeline supports people who are suicidal, victims of abuse, amid a personal crisis, and suffering from anxiety, depression or loneliness.

“The work we do is out in the community is to minimise mental health issues,” Mr Ferguson said.

“One of our challenges is to get people, especially males, to make that call [for help]. It’s a challenge to get them to recognise [that] in some cases they need to talk.”

The Mega Book Fair is on October 29 and 30, and is open 8.30am- 4pm on Saturday and 10am- 2pm on Sunday at Bathurst Showground.

Books start at $1 with DVDs from $3. Entry is by gold coin donation.

■ Call Lifeline on 13 11 14.