Defenders Steven Hammell and Craig Reid helped to carry donations into Shelter Scotland’s furniture shop, greeted customers and signed items for sale. All proceeds from the shop will go towards helping homeless and badly housed people in Motherwell and across Scotland.

The furniture shop, which is currently recruiting volunteers, is the first of its kind for the charity. It offers good quality, second hand furniture and fashion, as well as an advice area for local people to seek housing and homelessness support from the charity’s team of expert housing advisors.

Once a week staff and volunteers from the shop will also collect starter packs of furniture, appliances and other essentials for homeless families and individuals in the town and surrounding areas. These will be provided to homeless families that the charity has helped to secure permanent accommodation for.

Opening the shop Motherwell defender Steven Hammell, said: “The shop is a great addition to Motherwell. As a club we support any initiative that helps homeless people and their families.

“It costs just £10 for Shelter Scotland to help a family or individual at risk of losing their home through their helpline. We can all help raise such vital funds by donating an unwanted lamp, an old chest of drawers that’s taking up space or clothes we no longer need or want to the Motherwell shop.

“I urge people across North Lanarkshire to show their support for Shelter Scotland. Donating items or volunteering at the shop can make a real difference.”

In North Lanarkshire there were 1,872 households assessed as homeless in 2014-15.

Graeme Brown, director at Shelter Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to open Shelter Scotland’s first furniture shop in Scotland in Motherwell and can’t thanks the players and our volunteers enough for offering a helping hand as we opened our doors to the public.

“Our shops are a vital source of income. Every penny raised goes towards running services like our free national helpline which helps thousands of people every year.

“We hope that the people of Motherwell and the West of Scotland will continue to support us, because without their help and generosity our fight to end bad housing and homelessness would be so much harder.”

Graeme Brown added: “If every household in Motherwell donated just one item to this shop it would enable us to help hundreds if not thousands of people in housing need. We believe that everybody needs a home. Our work won’t stop until there’s a home for everyone.”

@shelterscotland