Bosses at Clevedon Pier are appealing for additional volunteers – to ensure the landmark can open safely to the public.
The pier opened at the end of June after being closed for three months due to the Government lockdown.
Initially the landmark has opened for four days a week from 11am to 5pm.
But it is hoped that opening hours will increase in the coming weeks – and peak summer season – if additional volunteers can be found.
Due to the new measures in place to comply with social distancing guidelines more pairs of hands are needed.
A one way system has been introduced on the pier to ensure sufficient space is left between visitors.
A traffic light system has also been introduced to limit the number of people on the pier at any one time.
However some of the pier’s volunteers have been unable to resume their duties due to their age or the fact they are shielding.
Clevedon Pier and Heritage Trust chairman Phil Curme said “We currently need four volunteers to work on each shift to make sure people visiting the pier can do so safely.
“We have one volunteer doing tickets, another manning the traffic light system and others, including one at the pier head, to answer any queries from visitors and make sure everyone gets the most out of visiting the pier.
“We are only opening reduced hours at the moment over four days but very much hope to increase this in the future.
“But to do so, we need more volunteers to come forward.”
Mr Curme said the pier was particularly looking for people who had experience of working on a till to help run the ticket office.
Some staff have already been brought back in from furlough to help with the pier’s operation.
Although the main pier is open, the shop and Toll House remain closed with tickets being issued from a hatch window at the attraction.
The ticket price is reduced to £2.50 for adults and £1.10 for children or £6.60 for a family.
The closure of the landmark, the only Grade I listed pier in the UK, has seen the trust lose tens of thousands in income.
The pier normally generates an income of around £400,000 a year.
Of this £315,000 is spent on its running costs with the remainder of around £85,000 being spent on long term maintenance.
Around 100,000 people each year flock to the pier with £210,000 being generated in tickets from day visitors.
The café and restaurant is also closed until a new operator can be found
The trust – which warned earlier this year it faced running out of cash to run the pier by the autumn – was thrown a cash lifeline last month in the form of a grant of £29,100 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Other money has come from donations from pier supporters as Government cash grants.
The money will be used to help towards the pier’s running costs and maintenance programme.
Anyone who wants to volunteer can fill in an application on the pier’s website at www.clevedonpier.co.uk or email enquiries@clevedonpier.com.
