The Lions Club of Plymouth has honoured three of its members with special presentations at its monthly meeting, recognising decades of dedicated service to the organisation.

Lion Phil Bunt, the 105SW District Governor Elect, made the presentations, which included a 50-year service chevron, a Melvin Jones Fellowship, the highest individual honour in Lions Clubs International and a letter of appreciation to the club for retaining its membership level during a challenging period for recruitment.

Lion Graham Hambly was awarded a 50-year service chevron in recognition of his half-century of commitment to Lions since joining the former Plym Valley Club in 1976.

During his 50 years as a Lion, Graham has served twice as President of the Plym Valley Club in 1983-84 and again in 2005-06 and has also been a member of the Ivybridge and Plymouth Tamar Clubs, both of which have since ceased to operate.

Club secretary Lion Ian Hill received a Melvin Jones Fellowship, which is awarded for dedicated humanitarian service and is named after the founder of Lions Clubs International.

Ian recently completed 20 years as a member of the Lions Club of Plymouth, during which time he served twice as club president and held two stints as Zone Chairman, a role that involves liaising with a group of clubs across the local area.

Club President Alan Clifford received a letter of appreciation from the District Governor Elect, recognising the club's achievement in retaining its membership level during the Lion year, which the organisation says is no small feat at a time when recruiting new members is increasingly difficult for Lions clubs across the country.

The Plymouth Lions Club are 65 men and women who serve the needs of the local community and the world. They are part of over 1.4 million Lions Club members around the world who perform community service in over 200 countries and geographic areas.

For more information visit: https://lionsplymouth.org.uk.