MALMESBURY residents packed the town hall last week to celebrate people in the community who have been making the town a better place to live.

The annual civic awards are always a hugely popular event and 2017 was no different as about 70 people were present to honour the citizen of the year, the young citizen of the year and the organisation of the year.

The citizen of the year award was given jointly to Ash Scott and Lisa Gore for their hard work in making the farmers market such a success.

They transport, build, take down and store all the market stalls every week and make active contributions to other town events including St Aldhelms Fair and the Late Night Shopping.

The other nominees were Hay Blake, David Harvey, Sara Gray, Margaret Perrin, Ellen Black, Daphne Jordan and Fred Finch.

Daniel Baines picked up the young citizen of the year accolade. He is a year 13 student at Malmesbury School and has just been accepted to study at Rambert School of Dance, a prestigious academy that only makes offers to 45 people from 600 applicants.

Dan has done this despite battling coeliac disease, he works as a kitchen assistant at Hill House residential home and also participated in the opening ceremony of London 2012.

Councillors, who voted for the winners, said it was a very difficult decision to choose between Dan and Jack McClelland who had also been nominated for the award for the success of his cadet career and role in organising the Remembrance Day service at school.

Dan was also honoured by the Rotary Club of the South Cotswolds who supported the award. Mr Doug Hughes from the club presented Dan with a certificate and a financial bursary.

The organisation of the year award was won by the Malmesbury and District FoodBank ahead of Malmesbury’s Long Players and 992 Squadron.

The FoodBank provides a growing and vital emergency support system for vulnerable people and refer people in need to other organisations that offer social support.

A representative from the FoodBank said: "Thank you to everyone who supports us, and allows us to help those in need. We are very grateful for every donation we receive, however large or small."

Mayor Wayne Jones oversaw the evening’s proceedings, saying it was a night he’d been looking forward to and is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.

He said: “It is important to us that we take the opportunity to recognise the fantastic people who are making a different in our community.

“I would like to offer my congratulations to all of our nominees this evening.

“You are all winners and should be very proud of the contribution you have made, and will continue to make.”