HASLEMERE Mayor Melanie Odell was special guest at the annual general meeting of a “neighbourly help” charity of which she was one of the earliest volunteers.

When Care in Haslemere was founded in 1978, its volunteers mainly provided practical help in the house and garden for local residents in need, who had no one else to turn to.

The main service it now provides is to make sure those in need can get to essential medical appointments.

Its volunteer drivers use their own cars and provide a very personal service for clients, who may be leading lonely or isolated lives, by taking them to and from the hospital or surgery, often waiting with them at their appointments.

In severe weather or during heavy snowfalls, the charity has drivers with 4x4 vehicles to help clients who might be otherwise cut off.

The volunteers give their time for nothing but receive a mileage allowance of 45 pence per mile. There is no fixed charge for their services but clients are asked to make a donation, depending on the length of the trip made.

The charity, which operates from the Methodist Church in Haslemere, needs more volunteer drivers.

They would be unlikely to be asked to do more than one trip per week.

Chairman Graham Randall said: “Care in Haslemere’s 36th AGM was attended by our mayor Melanie Odell, who was herself a volunteer with Care at its beginning, and she expressed pleasure that it continued to be so well supported and continued to serve the community so well. The charity is indeed still very active but, as ever, is always in need of new volunteers.

“We carried out 1,200 trips over the last year and many were to appointments further afield in Farnham and Guildford.

“We will also, in deserving cases, take clients to London hospitals and clinics.”

lAnybody interested in driving or acting as a duty officer for Care should call (01428) 652505.