The inaugural Cambridgeshire County Day has been hailed a "great success" by civic leaders.

Photos from Newmarket's July Racecourse on Thursday, June 23 show crowds of Cambridgeshire residents, volunteers, entrepreneurs and workers out in the sunshine to celebrate the "best of the best" in the county.

The event - attended by Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge - played host to around 120 charities, businesses and public-sector organisations.

College, community and choral groups performed on a main stage, with around 6,000 visitors thought to have attended the event.

The leader of Cambridgeshire County Council paid tribute to the organisers, and said the event would play a role in re-affirming Cambridgeshire's status as a home for biomedical and environmental sciences for decades to come.

Councillor Lucy Nethsingha said: "It's fantastic to see all these people out enjoying the sunshine and celebrating the brilliant success there is in Cambridgeshire at the moment.

"It's a really important environmental area, and there's a developing biomedical sector with AstraZeneca here, the fantastic Addenbrooke's Hospital, and Wellcome Genome Campus.

"We need to keep Cambridgeshire on the world stage, where it belongs, despite any challenges which come at the county."

She added: "I think our county a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family. It's great to see all the variety there is here."

Anthony Browne, MP for South Cambridgeshire, attended the event.

He said: "This has been an absolutely amazing day - seeing all the community groups, public-sector groups and research groups all here together makes me proud.

"In my part of Cambridgeshire, we've got some amazing life sciences which are developing.

"We're at the cutting edge with companies which are going to transform medicine for decades to come.

"It's great to see that represented at County Day."

County Day was organised by Julie Spence, Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire.

It was organised to coincide with The Queen's Platinum Jubilee - celebrating Her Majesty's 70th year on the throne.

Among the attendees were Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust, Cambridge United FC, the National Horseracing Museum and Anglia Ruskin University.

Dr Nik Johnson, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, payed tribute to Mrs Spence.

He said: "Julie Spence has managed to bring in a youthful crowd. It’s a wonderful place to be, alongside the fact it’s a Jubilee year.

"I'm pleased with how many people are here, and that we are getting kids to talk to people who are experts in their field.

"It's about offering children the opportunity to not just be outside, but it's about engaging across the generations and talk about their futures."

Dr Johnson added: "Everything that's here is about ambition and how Cambridgeshire, as a county, is unique in innovation and future thinking."

On the event website, organisers said Cambridgeshire County Day is intended to be a charity affair.

Barry Carter is the chair of the Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue charity, which supports 999 crews in challenging outdoor environments.

The team of volunteers also provides crisis support for crews looking for missing people, particularly those with autism or dementia.

Mr Carter said: "I love spending time outdoors in Cambridgeshire, particularly the waterways - which everyone can enjoy in a safe way.

"We've got so many fantastic parks - some personal favourites include Hinchingbrooke Country Park or Wandlebury, near the Shelfords."

Among the businesses at the event were Elgood's Brewery, from Wisbech, with managing director Belinda Sutton running the stall.

They were joined by Marshall Group, Anglian Water, Cambridge Building Society, Huntingdon-based Hotel Chocolat and dozens more.

The event was run not-for-profit.

All surplus funds generated at the event will be split between two charitable interests.

The first is the Cambridge Children's Hospital, a proposed unit which is set to become the East of England's first specialist paediatric hospital.

The second is the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation's Lord-Lieutenant's fund, which provides grants and stipends for community projects throughout the county.