Ledbury Rotary Club has presented a special awarded to its last remaining active founding member Bill Masefield.

The club celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and Mr Masefield was able to share some of his memories and the history of the club with fellow members.

The formation of the group was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Hereford and George Hill was its first president, heading a membership of 26.

Acting as a catalyst for change, the club started the Evergreen Club in 1959, followed by the community minibus in 1960 and the revival of the town carnival in 1972.

In the early 60s its fundraising cheese and wine evenings, held at Eastnor Castle, were a popular feature, while in 1973, Ken Davies initiated the twinning with Dou la Fontaine.

While the club has given priority to supporting the local community, in recent years it has also taken on board two serious international projects, the Polio Plus eradication campaign and the Tobago Footcare project. Both have saved lives and have shown real benefits beyond the money and effort expended.