While for many, the age of 70 may spring eternal thoughts of a life spent relaxing after several years of toil, but for Peela Gamble, a retired music teacher from Lisbellaw, retirement has taken on a different direction, one that has seen her devote a large part of her life to the world of volunteering.

This week, she will join hundreds of volunteers from across Fermanagh in celebrating Volunteer's Week which runs until tomorrow, Thursday, 7th June.

It was 10 years ago when Peela first thought of putting her volunteering spirit to use. Her mother, who lived alone on the Tyrone/Derry border, had been visited at home by a number of ladies, who Peela later learned were volunteers.

It was sometime later, however, approximately three years ago, when Ann Foster from the Fermanagh Volunteer Centre visited the Wednesday Ladies Club in Lisbellaw and persuaded Peela to join up.

"I joined the Volunteer Centre in Enniskillen about two or three years ago. We had to do assessments over five to six weeks, some in the Aisling Centre and some in Lisnaskea. I was then placed with two elderly ladies who I now visit and keep company. I look around the house to see that everything is OK, such as if there was a curling mat, I would check it for safety.

"The two ladies are Maud Nawn and Maud Blakely Nixon. I call about twice a month, normally the first and last Tuesday and Wednesday of the month. I would stay anything up to an hour with them, chatting to them, listening and giving advice. I also bring the elderly people into the Wednesday Club in Lisbellaw."