AN EAST Cornwall village is celebrating the recognition of one of its hard working volunteers in the New Year's Honours List.
There's a lot going on in Rilla Mill and much of that is down to the work of Zena Jones who was awarded the MBE for her sterling voluntary service to the parish of Linkinhorne.
Mrs Jones has co-run the senior citizens' Tuesday Club for more than 20 years, she has been secretary of the village hall committee for 15 years and helps with the lunch club, the parish magazine, with church activities and is a collector for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
It was at the end of November that Mrs Jones learned she was to be in the honours list and since the news broke last week her phone has not stopped ringing.
She said: 'I originally thought it was a wind-up but when I got the first letter I just kept thinking "Oh, my God".
'It has been very touching getting all the goodwill messages from everybody. I have been close to tears.
'It is wonderful to get this honour but I do what I do because I enjoy it. It is very rewarding and if I can make someone's life a bit happier than I am happy.'
Born and bred in South East Cornwall, Mrs Jones, 66, has lived in the Linkinhorne parish since 1947.
'My parents were always involved in the village hall and the church and I grew up helping them — it was part of the life then and when they were unable to do it any more, I carried on.'
After losing her husband eleven years ago, Mrs Jones said her work in the community had kept her busy and given her a focus.
She said there were many people like her in Rilla Mill who worked hard for the parish.
'It is very important that we keep these things going because there would be no community otherwise,' she said.
Mrs Jones received a long service medal from the WRVS (Women's Royal Voluntary Service) three years ago along with Judith Mason, with whom she restarted the village senior citizens' club in the 1980s.
Mrs Mason said the new year honour was great news: 'I congratulate Zena tremendously. She is so enthusiastic and has always got time to do things for people.
'She enjoys it so much and when she goes out to do something she gets it done and it is really important to have people like that in a village.'
Mrs Mason said the Tuesday Club was very popular, with 30 regular members and many more casual members who joined the frequent outings.
'Rilla Mill is a great village to live in because there is a lot going on and Zena is involved in a lot of it,' she said.