THE BRITISH Sugarcraft Guild set up a junior Cygnets section eight years ago - but organisers then never realised that its huge success would have attracted so many young members and that they would be instrumental in getting a countryside symbol to be used by all the Guild's junior members.

Appleby has around 15 members, aged five-to-15, and some six helpers, dedicated advocates of the useful and highly artistic skills required for cake decorating. Meeting once each month, from 10am until 4pm with everyone bringing their own packed lunch, usually to the village hall at Colby, near Appleby.

Original driving force behind the setting up of the Appleby Cygnet, Joan Raine is as enthusiastic today as she was in 1997, and when the decision to have a specially-designed logo was made they obtained the assistance of a Sugarcraft member from Weston-Super-Mare, her design was to complement the "Swan", which is the recognised symbol of the Sugarcraft Guild.

One large circle with the Swan within and three small circles in a line, each with a cygnet inside resembling a Yale key and implying the motto "Key to the Future", which is now the national symbol for the junior section.

Special tabards have been made bearing the new symbol, with financial support from EDC and generous donations to the Young Cygnet members. The tabards were presented to the junior members by chairman of Eden District Council Ella Langan.

Coun Langan said she was delighted to formally present the tabards on behalf of EDC and she had the agreement of everybody present in saying how smart and attractive the youngsters all looked.

Joan Raine introduced the adult helpers at this session, Gillian Harris and Margaret Atkinson, two experts at the art of cake decoration; and the young members: Marie Raine; Hannah Wignal; Sarah Longbone; Emma Henderson; Lilly Spense; Khristina Wharton; Mischa Phillips; Kayleigh Hindson; Zo Aitken; Hayley Ousby; Rachael Walker; Jasmine Jackson; Kate Hutt and Lauren Wharton.