THE Yelverton village care scheme, Yelvercare, celebrated its 1000th task undertaken by a volunteer by presenting the client with a planted floral arrangement.
The client, Mrs Winifred Redden, said she was very happy to receive the flowers and she hoped the people of Yelverton knew of the 'marvellous service' they had available to them.
The scheme started in September 1998, and chairman Brian Medhurst said the 'excellent community spirit alive in Yelverton' had enabled the group to offer 'a lot of neighbourly assistance' over the three years.
As a mark of its success, the scheme has recently expanded to include a group in another part of the parish at Buckland Monachorum.
Communications are kept up via the distribution of a village directory and newsletter, and a two-way link between co-ordinators and residents. A mobile telephone system is used to manage the system.
Some volunteers undertake tasks such as shopping, dog walking, light gardening, cooking, and transporting clients to the doctors' surgery and hospital.
Others befriend and visit on a regular basis people who are housebound, in nursing homes or in hospital.
The scheme is in need of more volunteers, including people to man the phone for three hours from time to time, and anyone able to help is asked to contact Anne Medhurst, the co-ordinator, on 07775 695864.