The Kirstie Tancock Memorial Shield presented to TRIP founder Val Royle

A presentation to award Val Royle with the Kirstie Tancock Memorial Shield took place at Honiton Show yesterday (August 1) at 2.30pm at the Chamber of Commerce marquee.

Present, along with members of the Chamber, was last years recipient, Heather Penwarden.

Val Royle was honoured with the accolade for founding and for her many years of support to the Honiton TRIP Community Transport charity.

Chamber member and retired police officer, Joseph M Furneaux-Gotch, said: "Val is 80-years-old, she set up TRIP 25 years ago now.

"Although she's staying as a trustee, she's stepped back from actually helping to run TRIP and we felt that this was the right time to award what she's done.

"All her work has been for the community and she's done it completely selflessly. TRIP is now a registered charity and she has helped it grow from one bus to seven - everything we've got now, Val has started and it's quite a large organised charity.

"The whole idea is about getting people out of their homes, into the community and socialising to try to combat the isolation that often comes with old age and disability and for that we think she was well worth the award."