DARLINGTON Harriers and Athletics Club, one of the largest and longest established running clubs in the North-East, have been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Saltburn Beachwatch, a team of volunteers who carry out litter picking and surveys to help keep the coast tidy, also won the award.

The accolade is the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

Representatives from Darlington Harriers attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May, along with other recipients of this year’s Queen's Award.

Club chairman Mark Tallon said: “I'm delighted and very proud that Darlington Harriers work in the local community has been recognised by this prestigious award.

"We are a club ran exclusively by volunteers and this award is a mark of the hard work and commitment of all of our volunteers and club members.

"We're a friendly, welcoming club that is made up of local people of all abilities, united in a love of running and athletics and we believe passionately in the impact this has on physical and mental health."

The Harriers has almost 500 members and has been part of Darlington's sporting and social scene for more than 125-years.