Dedicated volunteers who “go above and beyond” to help improve their communities were honoured for their hard work at an awards ceremony last night.

Wisbech Standard: Tesco community champion Toni Bird joins Ruth Freeman and Alan Wheeldon, from Wisbech Street Pride, in receiving the award for Best Clean UpTesco community champion Toni Bird joins Ruth Freeman and Alan Wheeldon, from Wisbech Street Pride, in receiving the award for Best Clean Up (Image: Archant)

Fenland’s numerous Street Pride, In Bloom and Friends groups were recognised for their tireless efforts to improve the district’s street scene and open spaces at Fenland District Council’s annual Celebration Evening.

120 volunteers attended the March Braza Club, with awards given for best nature, partnership, street scene, youth and promotional project presented along with best clean-up.

Wisbech Standard: Brian Massingham (left) and Chris Stevens (right), from Wisbech In Bloom and Waterlees in Bloom/Street Pride, receive award for Best Youth Project with pupils from Orchards Primary School.Brian Massingham (left) and Chris Stevens (right), from Wisbech In Bloom and Waterlees in Bloom/Street Pride, receive award for Best Youth Project with pupils from Orchards Primary School. (Image: Archant)

In the last six months, there were more than 100 events planned by the groups to improve local areas.

This year also saw two new Street Pride groups formed - in Doddington and Elm, taking the total number to 14, and Street Pride groups in Whittlesey, Chatteris and Parson Drove celebrated their tenth anniversary. Wisbech In Bloom also scooped its tenth consecutive gold award in the Anglia in Bloom competition.

Wisbech Standard: Gloria Prior (left) and Jan Stewart (right), from Chatteris In Bloom/Street Pride, also receive award for Best PromotionalGloria Prior (left) and Jan Stewart (right), from Chatteris In Bloom/Street Pride, also receive award for Best Promotional (Image: Archant)

Councillor Peter Murphy, the council’s portfolio holder for the environment, presented the awards with Rebecca Robinett, who is the council’s Street Pride coordinator. He also presented a £500 start-up grant to the new Street Pride group in Doddington, and £500 is to be donated to the new group in Elm.

The winners were:

Wisbech Standard: Chris Crossan, from Benwick In Bloom/Street Pride, receives award for Best Promotional ProjectChris Crossan, from Benwick In Bloom/Street Pride, receives award for Best Promotional Project (Image: Archant)

• Best Nature Project

Friends of Rings End Nature Reserve; for a Tesco Bags of Help-funded project with wildlife charity Froglife, creating new habitats, amphibian walks and running workshops

Wisbech Standard: Sue Beel (left) and Sarah Ledger (right), from Friends of Wisbech General Cemetery, collect award for Best Youth ProjectSue Beel (left) and Sarah Ledger (right), from Friends of Wisbech General Cemetery, collect award for Best Youth Project (Image: Archant)

• Best Partnership Project

Whittlesey Street Pride; for work with the Round Table and Lions to install three new benches around the town

Wisbech Standard: Collecting the award for Best Street Scene Project: from left, John Fielding, Rob Murray and James Merrett, from March Street Pride/In Bloom.Collecting the award for Best Street Scene Project: from left, John Fielding, Rob Murray and James Merrett, from March Street Pride/In Bloom. (Image: Archant)

Highly commended – Doddington Street Pride; for promotional stalls at Doddington Carnival and the local Horticultural Society show, where new members were recruited

• Best Street Scene Project

Wisbech Standard: Green-fingered champions awarded at Fenland District Council’s annual celebration eveningGreen-fingered champions awarded at Fenland District Council’s annual celebration evening (Image: Archant)

March Street Pride/In Bloom; for transforming a run-down piece of land opposite the West End DIY store into an eye-catching feature, with raised flower beds and a plough in homage to the area’s farming heritage.

Highly commended – Friends of March Railway Station; for transforming an area of wasteland at the railway station into a memorial garden

Wisbech Standard: Alan Hobbs (left) and Fred Mills (right), from Whittlesey Street Pride, receive award for Best Partnership Project.Alan Hobbs (left) and Fred Mills (right), from Whittlesey Street Pride, receive award for Best Partnership Project. (Image: Archant)

•Best Youth Project

Joint winners:

Wisbech Standard: Rob Phipps and Sandra Mortlock, from Friends of Rings End Nature Reserve, receive award for Best Nature Project.Rob Phipps and Sandra Mortlock, from Friends of Rings End Nature Reserve, receive award for Best Nature Project. (Image: Archant)

Wisbech In Bloom, Waterlees in Bloom/Street Pride; for their work with Orchard Primary School

Friends of Wisbech General Cemetery; for an Armistice Day commemoration ceremony involving pupils from St Peter’s Junior School

Wisbech Standard: Cllr Peter Murphy thanks volunteers for their effortsCllr Peter Murphy thanks volunteers for their efforts (Image: Archant)

• Best Promotional Project (a new category for this year)

Joint winners:

Benwick In Bloom/Street Pride; for installing a photo montage in the village bus shelter and organising the first ever Benwick Exhibition in May

Chatteris In Bloom/Street Pride; for its creative remembrance project, The Fallen, which featured hand-knitted poppies cascading from the beacon in the church grounds.

• Best Clean Up

Wisbech Street Pride; for organising a litter pick with staff from Tesco as part of Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean campaign in March