MORE than 100 volunteers attended a special celebration for Blackburn with Darwen's unsung heroes at King George's Hall.

Part of Volunteers Week, it helped to mark the contributions of the borough's 2,000-plus strong volunteer army.

Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen Suleman Khonat was joined by borough leader Cllr Phil Riley and chief executive Denise Park, who each thanked those present.

The event was opened with a performance by Kalise Nicholson, a talented young singer from Blackburn Youth Zone.

Cllr Phil Riley, borough leader, said: "I just want to say thank you to all the volunteers for everything that they add to our borough.

"They do wonderful pieces of work that, listening to some of the stories, obviously enrich the volunteers themselves, but it also makes the borough a much better place and a much stronger place.

"Collectively we can do so much more together than we can do on our own – so everything that you do just adds value and thank you for doing it."

Rizwana Zaahid, the council's volunteering manager, added: "A huge thank-you to all the volunteers who came to the event, there was a great energy in the room and everyone got the chance to meet someone new."