THREE women who have given a total of 85 years service to a local charity have been commended for their work. Velma Binder, Marion Newman and Diana Peerless were employed at Teaching-Aids at Low Cost (TALC) in St Albans and after retiring, continued to wo

THREE women who have given a total of 85 years service to a local charity have been commended for their work.

Velma Binder, Marion Newman and Diana Peerless were employed at Teaching-Aids at Low Cost (TALC) in St Albans and after retiring, continued to work as volunteers.

TALC, in Sutton Road, sends medical textbooks, accessories and CDs with health information to developing countries where the information helps health workers diagnose and treat illnesses.

The three women were presented with their long-service award by founder David Morley at a ceremony held in the TALC office.

David said: "We can't thank Diana, Marion and Velma enough for the years they have given to the charity. It is only with the help of volunteers like them that we have been able to send hundreds of thousands of medical textbooks, accessories and CDs to the developing world."

Velma, 76, who live on Jersey Farm, started working for TALC in 1980 and has continued as a volunteer since 1994. She still spends one morning a week helping with mailings and said: "I shall carry on as long as I can - as long as they have things for me to do."

Marion, 76, from Marshalswick, began working with TALC in 1979 and has continued to volunteer since 1996. She still helps with mailings and other administrative tasks when the charity needs her.

At one time before TALC acquired an office and warehouse in St Albans, she stored books in her bedroom and on another occasion had metal racks put up in her lounge to store the books and sat at a desk in the corner of the room packing them into Jiffy bags.

She added: "I'd line the parcels up in the hall and then took them to the post office with my son in his carry cot."

The baby of the group, Marshalswick resident Diana, at 64, started work in 1980 and has been a volunteer for the past decade. She helps the charity out a couple of days a month.

She gets a sense of satisfaction from the fact that her work helps people across the world.

The charity is currently hoping to raise £10,000 to send out a new edition of its e-TALC CD, a disc with up-to-date medical information that is distributed free of charge to health workers in 148 countries. To donate to the charity visit the website at www.talcuk.org