EIGHTY volunteers who give up their spare time to serve lunches to elderly people will be treated themselves when the tables are turned next week.

The volunteers act as unpaid waitresses, handing out hot meals to senior citizens at nine day clubs which meet weekly in villages around Barnard Castle.

But they will be the guests for a change when a Thank-You evening is held for them on Monday in the village hall at Woodland, near Barnard Castle.

Woodland was chosen as the venue as it has the newest day club in the Teesdale area and it will be celebrating its first anniversary during the week.

Officials who run the project, providing lunches and entertainment for about 150 pensioners every week, will serve wine and food to the volunteers while a band plays in the background.

Mrs Madeleine Walton, community worker for the project, said yesterday, "These volunteers do a wonderful job, and if it wasn't for them we wouldn't have any day clubs."