A PROJECT which aims to tackle loneliness and isolation among older people in a North-East town has signed up its thousandth member.

Ageing Better Middlesbrough is a six-year Big Lottery funded programme working with people aged 50 and over in Middlesbrough.

Members receive newsletters and are invited to free taster sessions in order that they can try out new activities and make new friends.

A recent event saw a Christmas Day lunch cooked for members at St Mary’s Cathedral, in Coulby Newham, who otherwise might have been on their own.

One of the project’s oldest members is 92-year-old Mabel McGurk, a volunteer at Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital, who has been awarded the British Empire Medal.

Helena Gordon, 63, a member and volunteer with Ageing Better Middlesbrough, said: “I feel part of the community and it’s a reason to get up in the morning.”

If you or someone you know ever feels lonely call (01642) 257030 to join or visit www.ageingbettermiddlesbrough.org.uk.