STAFF from a Barnard Castle travel company swapped selling holidays to serving meals after hearing there were not enough volunteers to help out at a day club event.
Earlier in the year Kyle Travel Worldchoice, based in Galgate, nominated Teesdale Day Clubs as its charity of the year.
When branch manager Carol Hunter learned there was a shortage of volunteers to serve meals at the Stainton Grove lunch club on Christmas Eve she and her staff stepped in.
Ms Hunter said: “We heard that a few of the volunteers were away and we wanted to help out.”
She and her colleagues, Olivia Buchanan, Vicki Thornton and Kim Race, rolled up their sleeves to ensure the lunch went ahead.
They helped hand out the meals at the club’s new base at Bowes Lyon House and chatted with members during the event.
They showed their appreciation with round of applause. Sylvia Bowron said she and her husband, Len, looked
forward to the weekly events and was grateful it went ahead.
She said: “We joined the lunch club about a year ago after moving down to Barnard Castle from Mickleton.
“We don’t come just for the food – we come for the chat and I think it’s important for older people to have that social interaction with people because you can become very lonely.” She added: “We come as a married couple, but the majority of people who come are single and we all look forward to seeing them.
“I would like to thank all the volunteers and Alison.”
The lunch club has relocated following the closure of Stainton Grove Community Centre.
Michael Carr, lunch club leader, said: “The staff at Bowes Lyon House have been fantastic and it’s working well here. We’ve currently got 18 members and have got quite a few applications for more to join.”
