A youth charity celebrated its 150th birthday with a day full of music, dance and celebration.

YMCA Dorchester marked its milestone anniversary with a huge tea party and performances from its gymnastic and cheerleading teams throughout the afternoon.

Dozens of children, parents, and past club members attended the event on Saturday which was aimed at showcasing the different activities and services the centre has provided to the community for the last 150 years.

Team Rector of Dorchester, The Rev Cannon Thomas Woodhouse, officially opened the event by cutting a ribbon to kick off the celebrations. Performances took place in the main gym hall whilst tea and cakes were served in the activity room opposite.

President Godfrey Lancashire praised everyone who has been involved in the club, saying: "A lot of people give up their time freely to help run the YMCA.

"Our aim is to give people of any age range the opportunity to show what they can do."

Karen Hofen, centre manager, said the tea party was an opportunity to say thank you to anyone who has shown support to the club.

She said: "The club has a long history and it hasn't always been here, but it's here now because of the people who are working behind the scenes.

"It's a great opportunity for us to showcase what the children do in their sessions. For the children, being able to perform is quite special."

In the activity hall, exhibitions were on display which detailed the history of the club and its achievements.

Chairman Peter Green said he was pleased with how many people had turned out to support the club on Saturday

He said: "This celebration is an opportunity to reflect on the contribution of the YMCA to the life of Dorchester over 150 years."

And Cllr Tim Harries, who attended the event on behalf of the Mayor of Dorchester, said: "Today has been great fun. It's lovely to see all sorts of people of all abilities involved. We've seen some great performances."