Inspirational Westminster residents have recently been honoured for their outstanding contributions in the local community.

The six winners were announced at an awards ceremony and beat tough competition from over 100 other nominees. The winners all received £500 to help them continue and develop their vital work in the local area.The ceremony was held at Paddington Academy and was attended by community leaders, council representatives, the NHS and the Police.

Dolly Cuthbert, who runs an over 50's club at Greenside Community Centre, won the the category for bringing the community together. The club organises social events, days out and lunches for older people,

Dolly said: "I will use the money from this award to take our members away for the day. We help 50 to 60 people, there is a real family spirit here and people from all sorts of backgrounds join in with us. I am delighted to have been honoured in this way, especially as I came second a couple of years ago."

Jacqui Haynes was recognised for the innovative approach she uses to help Westminster residents, as she runs a free lunch club that provides help for tasks such as writing letters and filling out forms.

She said: "We support a range of people through our service and we are performing really well after three years of hard work. Our focus is to help members of our community, but it is also nice to be honoured in this way and know that what you are doing is valued. We are always looking for more volunteers so that we can help more people and I would encourage anybody interested to get in touch."

The category for "Making Us Healthier" was won by Abdul Quyium, who has devised training programmes for young people and members of the London Tigers Sports Teams.

He said: "The award is really unexpected. Being in the company of so many people who help in the community makes me realise what an impact we can all have. I am still learning about the barriers people have to overcome and how I can help them -  it makes me want to set my targets even higher.

Other winners on the night were Jacqueline Crooks from local charity "Befriend a Family", Edna Powell, who runs a drop in centre for older people and Rolana Moleviciute, a Met Police volunteer.

Cllr Steve Summers, Westminster City Council's cabinet member for community services, said: "I would like to congratulate the winners, and all those nominated for an award. They work tirelessly to help others and innovate to benefit the areas where they live.

"Never has it been as important for the community to come together, to work with, and for one another, so that our city can prosper. This is what those nominated do every day. We rely on these community champions who are willing to go that extra mile to help those around them.

“In many cases they will work extra hours, or for free. These awards are aimed at honouring these local heroes and making sure their effort does not go unnoticed and act as inspiration for us all."