A party was held to celebrate Newquay RNLI’s oldest volunteer’s 100th birthday on Friday.

Agnes Clemens, who works at the Newquay RNLI shop, was joined by colleagues to mark the milestone.

They sang happy birthday and tucked into a special cake for the special occasion.

Agnes with her birthday cake and flowers (Picture: Warren Wilkins) ( )

Agnes joined Newquay Ladies Lifeboat Guild as a volunteer in 1981 and took part in fundraising events, including coffee mornings, carnivals and concerts.

She helped to sell souvenirs from outside Newquay Lifeboat Station before volunteering at the Newquay RNLI shop when the premises opened in 1994.

It was inevitable that Agnes would volunteer for Newquay RNLI as her family has a long tradition of supporting the charity.

Her late husband Richard was a president of Newquay RNLI and his father was bowman on the James Stevens No 5 which was wrecked at the lifeboat slip in 1917.

Agnes now volunteers alongside her daughter Elizabeth Carne and grandson Richard, who is a boathouse guide.

Agnes with her daughter Elizabeth Carne (Picture: Warren Wilkins) ( )

She was recently awarded with the charity's 40 year service award and is keen to keep supporting the charity for as long as she can.

Agnes said: “I have lots of friends at Newquay RNLI. It is like one big happy family.

“It is great to be a part of it. My family has always been part of Newquay RNLI so I just tagged along.

“I remember when I started in 1981 we just had a table and a few chairs outside the lifeboat station selling souvenirs and now we have the shop.

“I’ve got lots of happy memories volunteering. Newquay Lifeboat Day and the 1900 week were always a lot of fun.”

Agnes cut her cake for the many people who attended her birthday party (Picture: Warren Wilkins) ( )

Newquay Lifeboat Station’s operations manager Gareth Horner was full of praise for Agnes’s fundraising efforts.

Gareth said: "It was lovely to help Agnes Clemens celebrate her 100th birthday while she was volunteering at Newquay Lifeboat shop. To be still actively fundraising at the age of 100 is quite remarkable and a testament to her years of dedication.

“I know the lifeboat crew will join me in paying tribute to Agnes and to thank her for her outstanding service. We rely on our fundraising team to keep us afloat and Agnes is a shining example of their support "

Esther Farrant, the community manager for the RNLI, said: “With the RNLI celebrating its 200th anniversary, which has seen the charity save more than 144,000 lives, it is amazing that Agnes has been alive for a lot of that lifesaving history.

“Without the amazing efforts of the fundraising volunteers like Agnes the crew would not be able to save these lives over the past 200 years.

“The commitment shown by people like Agnes helps to inspire the next generation of fundraisers.”