MORE than 40 volunteers attended a special celebration organised by Westbank Community Health and Care to thank them for their tireless hard work and dedication throughout the year.

The Exminster-based charity relies on an army of volunteers to deliver its range of health and wellbeing services.

These include Devon Carers, which supports 32,000 unpaid carers; Westbank’s Neighbourhood Friends and Patient Transport services, which support vulnerable and isolated people in the community; the Community Cookery School; Exminster-based community café Coffee On The Corner; Starcross food larder; local community activities and Westbank's Health Walks programme, which offers organised daytime walks.

Volunteers at the charity’s Healthy Living Centre in Farm House Rise at Exminster were treated to a delicious afternoon tea with scones and traybakes.

Exminster Community Primary School choir and Exeter Community Folk Orchestra provided musical entertainment.

Westbank’s Volunteer Engagement Manager Pip Morrison said: ‘We plan to make this an annual celebration event to say a huge thank you to our wonderful volunteers.

‘Without their tireless hard work and dedication, our services could not provide the huge breadth of support to so many.

‘Our volunteers do it to give something back and to make a difference to the lives of others so it is really important we recognise their work and say thank you.

‘We are thrilled to link up with volunteer recognition charity Room to Reward, which awards free hotel stays through their range of hospitality partners to inspirational volunteer ‘Hidden Heroes’.

‘We were lucky to have five of our volunteers recognised in this way. You are all amazing.’