TWO new benches have been donated to honour residents in Sully who have reached 100 years old and in memory of a much loved mother..

Following requests from residents of Sully, the Sully & Lavernock Community Council have presented two new benches to the community at the cricket fields behind Smithies Avenue.

One of the benches has been installed in tribute to two residents who reached the age of 100 and the other in memory of a mother.

Thelma Bartlett turned 100 in November last year and villagers came up with a number of ideas to help her celebrate, one of which was to present her with a bench commemorating her 100th year.

The community council were approached to provide a centennial bench for anyone turning 100 in the village and to have their name placed on the bench.

The council voted unanimously for the proposal.

The council were then made aware that Millie Haw had also turned 100 in 2017.

She died a few months after reaching the amazing milestone but her daughter, Judith Payne, received the bench along with Ms Bartlett and a number of friends, family, neighbours and community councillors.

Inspired by the centennial bench idea, Becky Dancey, daughter of the late Angela Rose Munns (nee Page) who passed away on November 21, 2016, started fundraising for a memorial bench for her mother.

Ms Munns had lived in Sully all of her life and Becky felt a bench would be a fitting way to remember her.

Ms Dancey organised fundraising through raffles and crowd funding, whilst the community council contributed to the final costs.

This bench was ordered by the community council and also presented to Ms Dancey and her family on Thursday.

Ms Dancey said: "She (Angela) loved the beach and the sea. It is a fitting tribute."

Following on from the success of this project, the community council are embarking on a bench renovation programme to refurbish or replace all benches on the playing fields in the near future.

A spokesman for the council said: "Sully and Lavernock Community Council would like to thank Byron Colston of Grab It for laying the slab surfaces for both benches, Richard Patton of Swanbridge Property Maintenance for installing the benches; Peter Gibbon of Printmet Metal Fabrications for providing the metal fixings and Memorial Benches UK for their excellent service."