A LUNCH club for elderly residents in a Teesdale village has got off to a flying start.

More than 20 people attended the first meeting of the Evenwood Day Club yesterday, making it one of the biggest of the ten Teesdale day clubs.

The club, which meets at the newly-refurbished community centre in Evenwood, was set up after organisers saw there was a need for activities for elderly people in the village.

Rob Bland, the chairman of Teesdale Day Clubs, said: "We did a survey of where we had clubs and where people lived and this area has one of the biggest populations but didn't have a club. It's worked very, very well.

"We had a taster session last month, where we hoped to get 12 people, and we got 20.

"They've all come back and we've had a couple of extras as well.

"The idea is to give people a chance to get out of the house and meet other people.

"Some of our members say if we didn't send a taxi round for them, they wouldn't leave the house."

Members pay £2 and are served a three-course meal with coffee and chocolate.

Yesterday, they were served celery and stilton soup, mince and dumplings and syrup sponge with custard.

All the meals are home-made by Tracey Turnbull, who cooks nearly 100 meals a week for people in day clubs around Teesdale.

Lily White, 81, said: "It's been lovely, I've only left a little bit but that's because it's good manners to leave something.

"They've done a really good job."

Anyone interested in joining Teesdale Day Clubs as a member or a volunteer, or who can help the charity with its running costs, is asked to call (01833) 695822.