IN THE recently announced New Year's Honours, Mrs Jean Messenger, of Bude, becomes an MBE. Mrs Messenger was nominated for her work in establishing the Bude After School Club, which she set up, with the help of others, in 1997.

The After School Club operates from the United Reformed Church in Killerton Road, Bude and it currently has 120 children registered, from rising fives to sixteen year.

Before setting up the Club, Jean was a registered child minder: "I realised then that there was a need for children to be cared for after school, before parents returned from work.

"It wasn't easy for parents to find the necessary facilities, and there were a lot of children who could benefit, and I didn't like the idea of turning anyone away," says Jean.

After contacting Social Services and discussing with a number of other groups and individuals the needs of the Bude area, Jean established what had to be done to set up and run an After School Club.

"We provide facilities after school, and in the holidays," says Jean "and I really love working with the children; it is wonderful to see them achieving things and attempting things they would not have done before."

Jean was amazed to have been nominated for an award — "It came as a total surprise," she said, "and I am of course very honoured — and very surprised!"

She was greeted with spontaneous loud applause at her local church at the weekend when the news was made public.

At the age of 63, Jean is now beginning to think about retiring "but never fear," she says, "The After School Club will continue, and I am busy training a manager to take my place."