VOLUNTEERS are a vital resource in helping keeping charities and all kinds of sporting, social and other organisations afloat.

And encouraging people to give up their time to do unpaid work and then training them for new roles is no easy task either.

Since it is difficult to find men and women who will become volunteers purely to help others, the benefits of volunteering also have to be publicised.

It can, for example, give school or university leavers valuable experience to add to their CVs and which can also provide useful skills for a future career.

With all that in mind, it seems a shame that the Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Council for Voluntary Service is threatened with having to close down volunteer centres in Clitheroe and Accrington.

The service reckons to have found more than 5,000 volunteers for businesses and charities and has dealt with a total of 495 organisations.

The reason for the crisis is that funding from the National Lottery has run out and there is nothing to replace it with.

Some lottery grants are intended to take organisations to a situation where they can grown revenue to fund themselves.

But because of the nature of its work, the CVS is never going to reach this position without donations or grants.

Perhaps now is the time for satisified clients to get together to help.