A COUNCIL is to give public spirited residents a civic thank-you and recognition.

The Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, Madge Moses, will present them with certificates at a ceremony in the town hall on Wednesday.

She said: "Their common denominator is a willingness to give their best to the community, whether it's by their own achievements or through voluntary work.

"This will be the seventh annual awards night and we are thrilled that we can say a big thank you for their efforts, which largely go unsung."

The roll of honour includes: bronze medal winning wheelchair basketball player Terry Bywater, of Dormanstown; Emmanuel Cook, of Eston, who is a founder member of Church Lane Partnership, which works to improve the estate; Derek Cooper, of Eston, who has more than 40 years service to grassroots football and Vic Knights, 90, of Guisborough, who is still an active member of Guisborough Road Safety Committee and a neighbourhood watch co-ordinator.

Other winners are Nadean Porritt, events treasurer for Marske Community Partnership; Doreen Rudland, of Brotton, who is secretary of Marshall Drive Playing Field Group; retired headteacher Patricia Rutherford, who is chairwoman of Kirkleatham Forum and several other community groups and Albert "Sam" Slater, of Brotton, allotment and over-60s friendly club chairman.

The line-up also includes fundraisers for Saltburn in Bloom, Brian and Judy Snowdon, of Saltburn; landlord Terry Hatton, of Toad Hall Arms, Moorsholm; Paul Waugh of Skelton Green, of the Skinningrove Coastguard Cliff Rescue Team; Westfield Residents' Association, Loftus; Normanby Community Forum and the Zetland Lifeboat Museum Volunteer Group.

Certificates will also be presented to Parkinson's disease awareness campaigner Janet Willard, of Redcar and Kirkleatham Community Forum, and litter-picker Emily Young, of Redcar.