A ST ANNES day centre celebrates 25 years of community caring this month.

Church Road Methodist Day Care Centre will hold a special ceremony to commemorate its silver anniversary on February 15.

The caring centre caters for up to 50 elderly clients each day, providing morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea and special facilities such as bathing and hairdressing.

Clients also go out on regular trips and shopping excursions and take part in various activities during the afternoon.

Gill Mason is a volunteer co-ordinator for the centre and feels that it would be difficult to run such a successful operation without the large number of other volunteers who regularly help . She added: "Some of them have served since the opening but, of course, others are finding it hard to carry on and we are constantly in desperate need of new recruits."

Gill went on to describe the huge range of jobs that volunteers undertake. Some make coffee and another team serves it to those in the lounge. Lunch tables need to be laid, the meal served and tables cleared afterwards. In the afternoon clients can buy ice cream or sweets and a volunteer has to organise this. They also appreciate help with hairdressing or entertaining the clients.

Anniversary celebrations will take place on Tuesday, February 15 at 1.30pm, with the cutting of a birthday cake at 2pm.

As well as letting people know about the celebrations Gill is launching an appeal for new volunteers to help at the centre. If you want to volunteer call her on (01253) 782743.

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