MEMBERS of St Austell Lions Club have celebrated the 55th anniversary of the granting of its charter.

Though the previous 54 celebrations took the form of an evening dinner, this anniversary was marked by a luncheon at the Trenython Manor hotel, near Tywardreath.

The Lions and their partners were joined by representatives of the Soroptimists, other Cornwall Lions clubs and friends.

Club president David Honey, in a speech, reflected on how the passing of time affected the membership and then went on to thank Lions John Howe and Roger Dovey for their organisation of two of the club’s flagship fundraisers - the Christmas sleigh and the Easter egg raffle respectively.

During the celebration, David presented Melvin Jones Fellowships to district governor Lion James Mathers and, in his absence, to Lion Roger Dovey. The fellowships are given to Lions in recognition of their service to the organisation.

The district governor, addressing the gathering, drew attention to the various ways in which the Lions were helping the environment and also highlighted the need for younger members to be recruited so that Lions clubs can continue to serve their local communities.

Following his address, the district governor presented a Melvin Jones Fellowship to the club president.