A TEAM of eight inmates from Bathurst Correctional Facility spent Thursday at Bathurst Showground, lending a hand to Lifeline Central West volunteers in setting up the spring book fair.
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Senior overseer of Community Projects, Scott Keen, said inmates from the jail have assisted with the Lifeline Book Fair for around a decade.
Their role requires them to do a lot of the heavy lifting and setting up the books under the various categories.
Mr Keen said inmates, regardless of what other projects they may be working on, always volunteer to help out at the book fair.
“They definitely like coming along and sorting out the books,” he said.
The inmates work seamlessly with the Lifeline volunteers in what is a very respectful partnership.
“The other volunteers really accept them as just volunteers; they don’t look at it any other way and I think the guys appreciate that,” Mr Keen said.
The book fair will be held at the showground from 8.30am to 4pm on Saturday, and between 10am and 2pm on Sunday.
Lifeline’s book fair coordinator, Bill Miller, said there were more than 20,000 books ready to be sold.
“And this year it is a bit different, all the fiction is sorted alphabetically, and the sci-fi as well,” he said.
Entry to the book fair by gold coin donation, and all money raised from entry fees and book sales will go to Lifeline to help run its telephone service.
The inmates will return to the showground on Monday to assist volunteers in packing up.