THE TOWN'S rotary club is to close after almost eight decades of service.

Penarth Rotary Club members voted at the beginning of May to disband after more than 78 years of operating due to changes in business commitments and social pressures making the recruitment of new members difficult.

In 1987, to mark its Golden Anniversary, Penarth Rotary Club donated a clock to the town which still stands on the roundabout in the town centre.

But membership of the club has declined in recent years and it is no longer easy for the current members to undertake the activities associated with a rotary club.

The club was set up in 1937 by 24 business and professional men and grew to a membership of nearly 60 at one stage.

Having started just before the second world war, the club set about living up to the international rotary motto "service before self."

Tea parties and entertainment were regularly provided for children, refugees and members of the armed forces throughout the war.

They continued their work after the war including being involved in a major fundraising campaign to raise money for a scanner at Llandough Hospital.

For the last thirty eight years, Penarth Rotary Club in partnership with the Round Table and Penarth Rugby Football Club, has organised the Fireworks Fiesta each November which raised funds to support its charitable activities.

For its 70th anniversary, the club erected a map table on the Cliff Walk to help walkers identify the places of interest on the other side of the Bristol Channel that can be seen on a clear day.

Each year, a concert has been arranged, at which the children from schools in the town and surrounding district can perform in front of an audience and show off their musical skills and this year's will be the twenty fourth edition.

The club has also done work abroad, giving financial support to areas of the world which are need.

This included helping to build a house in Indonesia after the Tsunami of 2004.

Club president, Val Kacal said: "In its lifetime, the club has carried out many more projects that involved not only fundraising but the personal services of all of the club members.

"Countless numbers of people have benefitted from the time that we have willingly given to helping them.

"It is, therefore, with the greatest of regret that we find that time has caught up with us and we are no longer able to carry on as we would wish.

"We hope that Penarth will always remember the work that we did in the lifetime of the club.”