But during the decades its members have been dispensing no-nonsense, hands-on practical help the respected and invaluable service has been responsible for so much more.

It has become synonymous with bringing support and companionship to the elderly thanks to its Darby and Joan clubs, for cheering up hospital patients with well-stocked tea trolleys and for bringing immediate relief to people in times of suffering and disaster.

And thanks to its meals on wheels service and luncheon clubs, millions have tucked into hearty and tasty, home-cooked food.

This year the service marks its 70th birthday – a reason to celebrate says long-standing Calderdale volunteer Gillian Highley and her hard-working team.

"WRVS has changed over the years to meet the changing needs of people. It has had to," she says. "But basically the values are just the same – to help those most in need and the new mission is to help people maintain independence and dignity in their home and communities, particularly in later life," she says.

Gillian, who joined the service more than 40 years ago and is now chairman of the WRVS Association's Calderdale branch, has been recognised for her commitment and dedication by being awarded an MBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours list two years ago.

But with her inimitable modesty, she insists it is all down to team work.

"I could not have achieved all that I have over the years without a great band of helpers. It's been team effort all the way," she says.

She says there have been many highlights since joining the service, including setting up the monthly luncheon club at King Cross Methodist Church, which ran for more than 30 years. These days it has moved to Halifax's Maurice Jagger Centre where coffees and light lunches are available for the elderly.

Part of her inspiration as a young member was down to stalwart Flora Johnson who set up Halifax's very first Darby and Joan Club in 1948 in Albion Street – the Darby and Joan name comes from two characters in an unsigned poem The Joys of Love Never Forgot, which appeared in a magazine printed in March 1735.

Eventually there was to be 15 flourishing clubs throughout Calderdale.

"THE WRVS used to have a lot more members because people seemed to have more time then and sadly clubs have closed, but it has never been the WRVS that has closed anything. Services have stopped because other agencies have taken on the work we used to do," she explains.

"At one time we had hospital trolleys and the meals on wheels service, of course, but gradually those services have been taken over.

The WRVS still has a valuable role to play – and we always welcome new members.

Gillian produces stacks of carefully-kept cuttings books, which record how the formation of the Siddal Monday Darby and Joan Club meant members having to change washing day to Tuesday in the 1960s, how volunteers helped to calm hysterical girls at the Bay City Rollers Concert in Halifax in the 1970s and how a police "specials" exercise on Ogden Moor had called for WRVS members to provide "Thermos flasks and sandwiches."

"We had an office in Broad Street at one time and this chap came in with some wool to see if someone could knit him some socks. My mother-in-law did the job in the end," she says.

And still on the subject of wool, Gillian turns up a photograph, which has us giggling.

"This was a competition to make the biggest ball of wool. We had to pull apart old jumpers, wind the wool into huge balls and knit blankets for people."

And more pictures will be added to the album thanks to the 70th birthday celebrations – coffee mornings have been held in Halifax.

"I am sure over the years I have got as much out of the WRVS as I have put into it," says Gillian. "I have enjoyed the companionship of it all. You make some great friends and you do make a difference to people's lives."

WRVS history
It was in 1938 that the Dowager Marchioness of Reading was asked by the then Home Secretary Samuel Hoare to form an organisation to help recruit women for the Air Raid Precautions Services.

It was first known as the Women's Voluntary Service for Air Raid Precautions.

At the outbreak of war, 165,000 volunteers belonged to the WVS, rapidly expanding to 1 million. The name was changed to WVS for Civil Defence and the service looked after refugees, organised evacuees and ran canteens for emergency feeding.

In 1951 a roll of honour was dedicated to the 241 members killed on duty during the war. A year later The Queen, on accession to the throne, agreed to become patron.

The first WVS hospital canteen was opened in 1962 and in 1966 the Queen honoured WVS by adding Royal to the title, since when it has been known as WRVS.

In the late 1960s the WRVS continued to train and equip members to deal with local and national emergencies - since then members have assisted victims and their families after disasters such as the Lockerbie and Kegworth air crashes, the Piper Alpha oil rig disaster and Hillsborough football tragedy.

In 1983, men were admitted to the service.

In 1993 WRVS became a company limited by guarantee and registered with the charity commission. A new logo was launched the following year to appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds.

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