TWO founders of a youth club for children in east Durham have been honoured for their work with young people.

Tracey Slater and Julie Griffiths, from Murton, accepted the Durham County Council Chairman’s Medal for their dedication to their group, Junior Club, which was founded and run by the two ladies.

Over the years, they have worked with over 800 young people from the village, organising fun activities to help them engage with others in their community.

Presenting the pair with their medals, Councillor John Lethbridge, the council chairman, said: “Tracey and Julie have dedicated a huge amount of their time to making sure the young people in their area have fun things to do, somewhere to form friendships, and a place to give back to the community.

“They are making a huge difference to people’s lives, and I am extremely proud to recognise their dedication with this honour.”

Activities include taking food hampers to older people, litter picks, sponsored walks for local fundraising and environmental projects including planting trees and bulbs around the village.

The women have also organised trips to the cinema, going out for meals, knitting and cooking classes, as well as helping children learn French and German.

School holidays are no exception with trips to the zoo, sports days and treasure hunts.

The pair work completely voluntarily and pay for activities through fundraising.

The club runs on a Tuesday nights, with some activities running on a weekend.

Ms Slater said: “I felt very humbled when I found out we had been nominated for this award. It was only later that we found out it was a young person from our group and her mother who had nominated us.

“I took my parents and my daughter to the awards ceremony and felt very proud to say the least.

“Junior Club welcomes young people from the ages of five to 13.

“We started off with about seven children and now we have around 40 with a waiting list.

“We love what we do and will continue to do so as long as the children want us to.

“If we can make a difference to just one person’s life and put a smile on their faces, then we are doing something right and that’s what counts for us.”