ONE hundred years of friendship and commitment to humanitarian causes was given a royal seal of approval at a Rotary International centenary service at the weekend.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester joined Lord Lieutenant of Kent Allan Willett, Lord Mayor Cllr Martin Vye, and Kent Messenger Group chairman Edwin Boorman, at Canterbury Cathedral.

About 500 members from 81 clubs of the organisation's Kent and East Sussex district heard a sermon on the power of communication from Bishop of Dover, the Rt Rev Stephen Venner.

At a lunch in the International study centre afterwards, the Duke received a Paul Harris Fellowship, named after the group's Chicago-based founder.

He said: "It is an honour to be here to receive such an award. The reputation Rotary has with charitable projects speaks for itself."

Written birthday messages were also received from Buckingham Palace and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Mr Willett and Mr Boorman also received a rotary centennial service award for professional excellence.

Mr Willett said: "This organisation is a power for good. "My father-in-law was once head of the Singapore Rotary club so it is a real honour to be here today."

From helping fund artificial limbs to a major offensive on the world's polio epidemic, the group's strength lies in the variety of its projects and the collaboration between groups across the world. Himansu Basu, a surgeon from Gravesend is the district's centennial governor.

He said: "We are greatly honoured to receive His Royal Highness today and that he has graciously accepted the highest honour we can give. "Rotary's strength is its service on behalf of the community and the differences between our many clubs. "We are adjusting well to the challenge of the modern day world but the core values of friendship and community volunteer work remain the same."

Among recent projects clubs in the district have contributed about £160,000 to the tsunami relief fund. A donation of £11,000 was made towards a sensory room at Canterbury College's St Nicholas School unit.

President of Canterbury's Forest of Blean club Alan Marriott said: "That donation to help 16-19 year olds was a fine way to lead into today's celebration." Folkestone club member and director of the Rotary charity Noel Tatt said: "The great strength of the charity is that the members decide on where it is spent. It is a very democratic way of helping a broad range of projects."

In the UK there are currently about 58,000 across 1,841 clubs. Worldwide the organisation boasts over one million members in 166 countries under the banner, 'service above self.'

Mr Tatt, who runs a greetings card business based in Canterbury said: "I have travelled extensively in my work and have found clubs in Vladivostok in Russia. I am told there is one in the Antarctic."

Major Ian Payne of the Bromley Sunrise club said: "This event marks a great celebration of 100 years of community work. "Many smaller projects begin to build gradually and their impact becomes greater and greater."