AN ANDOVER-based charity marked its 30th birthday last week with a day-long event in the High Street.

The Macular Society organised a day of live music, interactive games and face painting in the town’s market square.

The event, which also marked the start of Macular Awareness Week, included performances from local band, HoneyStreet, and acoustic group, Misspent Yukes.

The charity, whose head office is based on South Street, also put on a human fruit machine, and Find Mac competition, which saw participants attempt to locate 15 images of Mac, the society’s mascot.

Mayor of Test Valley, councillor Carl Borg-Neal, also got involved on the day. He was guided around town with a pair of glasses, which allowed him to see through the eyes of someone with macular degeneration.

Tom McInulty, the charity’s regional manager, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who came over to the stand and took part.

“I hope a lot more people are aware now of the macular condition, because it is the most common form of sight loss in the UK, with over 600,000 people in the UK at the moment.”