A SPECIAL ceremony attended by Hartlepool MP Peter Mandelson rewarded an army of young volunteers on which many organisations rely.

Eighteen of the town's Millennium Volunteers met Mr Mandelson at the ceremony and presented him with a mock cheque for £92,000 representing the notional value of their work, assuming a local hourly pay rate.

The project has been running for 12 months as part of the national Millennium Volunteers scheme supported by the Government and celebrities such as model Heather Mills and Tv presenter Nick Hancock

Hartlepool's Warner Village Cinema has agreed to give free cinema tickets to every volunteer who completes 100 hours.

Of the 100 young people taking part in the Hartlepool project, 47 have given 100 hours of their time to a variety of organisations.

To qualify for the Millennium Volunteers Award of Excellence 26 completed 200 hours and 18 of those attended the ceremony at Hartlepool's Historic Quay.

The volunteers, who are organised by Hartlepool Voluntary Development Agency, get their travelling expenses paid and attend summer camps throughout the country.

Activities supported by the volunteers include Eldon Grove Primary School, Hartlepool Access Group for disabled people, Hartlepool Special Needs Support Group, Brinkburn Youth Club Barnado's Young Person's Advice Centre, Hartlepool Shopmobility and the WRVS.