A fundraiser from Constantine who was awarded the British Empire Medal for almost 40 years of volunteering has attended a Buckingham Palace garden party - more than a year after receiving the honour.

Elizabeth Sally Coot, 71, known as Sally, was given the BEM for services to fundraising and to the community in Constantine in the New Year's Honours list for January 2016.

However as she was due to fly to America when the garden parties for honours recipients were held last year, palace officials told her that they would make sure she got to go to one. So this year Sally and her husband Alfie were invited back to London, and they visited the palace last week.

Sally said: "It was tremendous, it was quite an experience.

"It was really lovely, everything went right. It was a real honour to go there."

Sally Coot received her award for services to fundraising and to the community in Constantine, where she has worked for a number of causes for 38 years, and where she has been particularly closely involved with the Save the Children charity shop, having volunteered there since 1994 and been a shop manager since 2007.

She also fundraises for and supports the Constantine Silver Band, where she began her community work when her children were members, the local Heritage Centre and museum, the village carnival, the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. And since 2005, she was founder member and organiser of the One and All Club for elderly people.

She was born and raised in Constantine, and has lived in the village all her life, working at different times for the local shop, the doctors' surgery and Cornwall County Council.