An appeal has been launched to track down three women who helped open a club for the elderly half a century ago.

Age UK Kent Rivers is hoping to find the trio, who were teenagers at the time, to invite them to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Mackenney Day Centre, in Gillingham.

The facility, in Woodlands Road, first opened on September 10, 1974, for the elderly and included a dining room, kitchen, quiet rooms and activity space.

It took a year to build following almost five years of fundraising by Gillingham’s Old People’s Welfare Council, which was helped by the then Gillingham Council and Kent County Council, to cover the £64,000 bill.

At the time, the centre provided 150 lunches for pensioners every day with the help of six trained members of staff and students from the nearby Woodlands Road School.

Among those were teenagers Janet Harber, Linda Green and Janis Tennent who Age UK Kent Rivers is now looking to track down.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the charity said: “We need your help.

“We will be hosting a series of celebrations at the centre for our customers, and we would absolutely love to extend an invitation to the three lovely students from Woodlands Road School, who helped us prepare lunches all those years ago in 1974.

“Do not worry, we promise they will not have to do the washing up this time.

“We would appreciate all the help we can get in finding them. Get in touch with us if you know Janet, Linda or Janis.”

The three women were 15-years-old when they volunteered meaning they would now be around 65 and may have different surnames.

The Mackenney Centre still provides a two-course lunch and refreshments for a daily charge and also runs events and activities such as arts and crafts, bingo and quizzes for people over 50.

Age UK Kent Rivers was formed last year following a merger with two other charities.