A YOUNG man desperate to give something back to his community by setting up a local charity shop has seen his dreams dashed at the last hurdle after a communication bungle left him without a sitewhere to set up shop.

Last month, enterprising Adam Hunt announced a plan to open a charity shop within Liden library to raise money for causes in the community, after being inspired by the success of a similar charity shop and library in Walcot.

The 20-year-old had all but finished dotted the is and crossed the ts on the paperwork when he announced his plea for volunteers to help run the project – only to find out the venue he had been told was available was already now occupied by other activities.

He said: “I’ve been utterly disgusted by what has happened.

"I just feel like I’ve been really let down.”

Adam, who lives in Liden, was encouraged to put his kind-hearted nature and entrepreneurial nouse to good use by Councillor Derique Montaut (Lab, Liden, Eldene & Park South) who introduced him to Peter Mallinson, the chairman of the Walcot Charity Shop and Library in Sussex Square.

Both Derique and Peter were disappointed by how Adam had been treated over the incident, which concerns by Swindon Borough Council, which runs the library premises.

Peter said: “Here we have a young man who wants to do something good for his community at a time where the council are concerned about squeezed budgets and are looking for other ways to provide services.

"Instead of supporting him, they smacked him down.

“This is not just a charity shop. Here in Sussex Square it’s a place where people can come along and seek advice and support with pretty much anything – including job seeking and writing CVs. That’s the sort of thing Adam wanted to set up too.

“I told him that before he did anything he needed to make sure all the paperwork was in order – and he had to take it seriously because it’s like running a business.

“I gave him all the support and told him what he had to do, and one of the first things was finding a venue.”

Derique said: “It’s been common knowledge that for some time, for some years, a big room in the Liden Library has been unused. It was being used as a storage room, so I suggested that we use it for the charity shop.

“We set up meetings with the library and with the localities teams and all along there was no question the room wasn’t available.

“Adam has been left so disappointed. He’s been completely deflated.”

The shop had been intended to be used as a store selling items donated by generous supporters, from bric-a-brac and books to clothing.

And Adam had hoped money raised through selling the items in the shop would go towards grants to give to some of the area's neediest people.

Swindon Borough Council was unavailable for comment when the Adver went to press.