PLANS to celebrate the start of National Volunteers Week with the presentation of awards to St John Ambulance volunteers have been blown apart by the recent postal dispute.

Preston's Mayor and Mayoress, Coun and Mrs Alan Hackett, were to attend an evening of celebration and appreciation tomorrow (Friday), for the volunteers and present them with certificates as a way of saying 'thank you' for their efforts for the service.

But the certificates have not arrived on time due to the postal dispute, meaning the event has had to be called off.

Sandra Ronson, the county public relations officer for St John Ambulance, said:

"Representatives from every division, Badger set (six to 10-year-olds), county staff officers and school liaison officers were to receive these well-deserved thanks."

"I was on the point of ordering the food for the buffet when I became worried about the arrival of the certificates.

"I checked on them and found they would not be here on time.

"It's terrible really, because people would have been brought from all across the county to receive acknowledgment for giving up their time to help others."

She added: "When they do arrive we will make sure that all the certificates will go out out with every divisional inspection.

"It is very important to recognise what these volunteers do for others.

"Last year many gave up their Millennium New Year's Eve and worked all night to help people who had had accidents."

Plans are in place for the Women's Royal Voluntary Service to celebrate National Volunteers week with the Mayor and Mayoress at the Harris Museum on Monday (June 4).

The WVRS spend a lot of time with people involved in personal problems and were recently involved in the Moor Lane flats crisis offering refreshments and advice.