TAVISTOCK Area Support Services has this week praised its volunteers for being the 'unsung heroes of the community' and helping to make the organisation go from strength to strength.

The charity, based at The Anchorage Centre in Tavistock, has been running for 30 years, helping hundreds of people a day through its many services, seven days a week.

TASS's general manager Andy Lyle said that it was thanks to the volunteers that the services provided by the charity have gone from strength to strength, with some services proving more popular this year than ever before.

'TASS volunteers are the unsung heroes of the community as they always go the extra mile. TASS could not function without the input of the volunteers — we would not be the organisation that we are today without them, it's a community organisation supported by the community.'

Services offered by TASS which have seen a dramatic increase are the volunteer car service due to the amount of people needing assistance to make it to medical appointments and shopmobility, which helps people with limited mobility to use manual and powered wheelchairs and electric powered scooters to access local shops and use the town centre and leisure facilities.

Andy added: 'The health volunteer car service is increasing and in May we helped people with over 700 journeys for medical appointments.

'Shopmobility has also increased in what was used last year. We have purchased more wheelchairs to meet the demand.'

Outreach worker Cathy Hipsey has also been busy running information desks in local surgeries where she offers advice and information to support clients in making welfare and benefits claims, as well as support in accessing other services relevant to individual needs.

Since January she has completed 124 referrals, compared to 148 for the whole of last year alone. Referrals can be anything from attendance allowances and benefits to the befriending service offered by TASS.

Information desks have included surgeries in Tavistock, Bere Alston, Yelverton and Princetown and Lifton.

For more information on the services offered visit http://www.tasstavistock.org.uk">www.tasstavistock.org.uk or drop in to The Anchorage Centre, next to the Tavistock Bus Station.