Queen's Award for Church Stretton Good Neighbours Care Group

They are a friendly face at the door, bringing a welcome meal or offering a lift to those in need.

For 50 years the Church Stretton Good Neighbours Care Group has reached out to those who need their help in their every day lives.

Having helped thousands of people, their hard work and dedication has been rewarded with recognition from the highest in the land.

Run solely by volunteers, the group was recently granted a Queen's Award for Voluntary Service and they couldn't be more delighted.

Andrew Tweedie, former chairman of the group said the whole team of volunteers, were over the moon to have won the award, which is the charitable organisations' equivalent of an MBE.

"We couldn't be more pleased," he said. "To be in our Golden Jubilee year makes the award more special. I am thrilled to get the award. It is a wonderful achievement and is a testament to our volunteers.. It is in recognition of all their hard work. It will be very good for the reputation of the group and will get us more widely known. We rely on word of mouth and hopefully it will help us recruit more volunteers."

The group was started by a team of four ministers from Church Stretton in 1968 who got together with the common aim of helping the elderly in the area.

Over time the group evolved, brought in new members and extended its reach in the community.

The main work carried out by the band of volunteers is to offer transport to and from hospital, deliver meals on wheels and offer a befriending service.

Andrew added: "The main work we do now it to provide a transport to those with a medical need. We take them to hospitals in the area, whether that be at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, The Princess Royal or the Robert Jones at Gobowen. We also take people for dentist and doctor's appointments as well as to nursing homes should their spouses or relatives live there.

"All our drivers are volunteers which means we can offer a service which is very cost effective. A taxi would charge a fortune to take someone to hospital from Church Stretton and we just cover the costs. We make around 50 journeys a month which is around 2,500 miles a year.

"We also deliver meals on wheels. They are prepared by the Mayfair Meals and it is a very important service that we offer. Each day we deliver between 12 and 20 meals around the area. We get between 30 and 40 people coming to our lunch clubs.

Sometimes we may be the only face someone sees all day. It is done every day for 365 days a year. Every day someone is going in to check they are in good health.

"We try and spend a few minutes with them, making sure they are alright. In that way we are a link to the medical people.

"We also run a couple of lunch clubs. It gives people a change of air. We take them to cafes and the pub - somewhere they would never go on their own. They really enjoy it. Otherwise life can be a bit lonely.

"Being a very rural area, cover around 1,000sq km. It is a vast area with very limited resources. It would be very difficult for us to operate without our volunteers. They are so supportive and committed. It costs us around £2,500 to run the charity so we rely on donations and legacies."

The group runs as a finely oiled machine - each person knowing what is expected from them day to day.

"We don't have an office, we just have an answer phone, which is checked daily," said Andrew. "There is a group of 28 co-ordinators who change each day and who organise what volunteer does what.

"The need is there. We are reliable. We do it for a willingness to help and to offer support. there is no pressure for people to work, they just do it because they want to. Some people have been volunteers with us for more than 25 years. The people who volunteer get an awful lot out of it. Personally, I get huge satisfaction out of meeting people who I would never have met otherwise. It is very enjoyable and isn't a chore at all. I am very willing to do it."

The group will receive their award from the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire in August.