Volunteers are being thanked following years of dedication and service to the cerebral palsy charity Scope.

Four women who work in Scope shops in Colliergate, York, and Goodramgate, York, are to be rewarded for their years of service to the charity.

Mrs Freddie Proser-Higdon, 80, Mrs Annie Gill, 79, and Mrs Ellie Groves, 70, who all work in the Colliergate shop, will be presented with ten-year awards for service and Mrs Ceri Hooper, 68, who works at the Goodramgate shop, will get an award for five years' service.

Richard Cox, manager of the Colliergate shop, said: "It's wonderful that our ladies are up for these awards, they are all absolute diamonds. Charities would not be able to run as well as they do without the volunteers. They give their time and energy for free and we couldn't manage without them."

The special awards ceremony will be held at the Beechwood Close Hotel, Shipton Road, York, on Wednesday, June 2, in recognition of the hard work and invaluable service the volunteers give.

Jen Brown, regional manager for Scope's shops in the north, said: "It's easy to concentrate on figures but it's the people who make the organisation. Volunteers gathering at this event have given priceless loyalty to the charity."

As part of National Volunteers Week, staff throughout Scope's 314 shops will be thanking more than 5,000 volunteers, for contributing more than 372,000 hours of service to the charity in the last year.

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