THE chairman of a floral group has been named Exmouth Citizen of the Year by the town’s rotary club.

Pat Graham, from Exmouth in Bloom, was handed the award this week.

Each year the club honours someone who has made a great contribution to enrich the lives of others in the community.

On receiving the award, she said: “I was absolutely delighted – surprised but very pleased.”

Pat Graham was invited to join Exmouth in Bloom in September 1996 becoming chairman in January 1999.

A spokesperson for the rotary club said: “Through her encouragement, many groups in the wider community now take an increasing sense of pride in their surroundings by planting floral beds and troughs.

“Pat also carries out many activities behind the scenes such as her involvement with local schools; one such highly successful project being in the Manor Gardens involving four schools each year designing and planting their own flower beds.

“Under her chairmanship, the town has achieved much success most notably achieving the Tesco Cup in the 2005 South West in Bloom and culminating in the national level Best Coastal Town.”

The spokesperson said her energy was unabating and it was not unusual to find her at 6am in the morning watering or weeding one of the town’s many floral displays.

Pat, whose husband, Keith was bestowed with the same award in 1997, was visibly moved and had no idea that she was to receive this prestigious prize.

She warmly thanked the Rotary Club for the honour.