A TOWN is celebrating after winning a community environment competition run by The Northern Echo.

North-East environmentalist Dr David Bellamy visited Saltburn, in east Cleveland, to present the prizes, including the overall prize to the Saltburn 500 Club.

The competition is sponsored by One NorthEast and open to schemes in the regional development agency's area of County Durham, Tees Valley, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland.

The Saltburn 500 Club is the umbrella organisation for a wide range of voluntary groups, all of which have worked to improve the town through schemes ranging from restoring the bandstand to creating floral displays.

Dr Bellamy told the ceremony at the Methodist Church Hall in Milton Street: "The green renaissance is out there and this is part of the green renaissance.

"All you have to do is plant a seed and the seed will grow. That is exactly what The Northern Echo has done with this competition. When they started looking, they found a lot of people doing wonderful, wonderful things. The Northern Echo has opened eyes.

"People are not sitting still, saying something should be done about it. They are out there doing it themselves."

Pupils from Saltburn Primary School sang songs at the event and, receiving the prize, Tony Lynn, one of the Saltburn volunteers, said: "Hopefully, because of what we are doing, we are making a better world for the children."

The Saltburn volunteers received £500 from One NorthEast and The Northern Echo and a bowl carved by North Pennines craftsman Philip Bastow.

Prizes were also presented to the runners-up, received by:

* Teacher Graham Temby, representing Harrowgate Hill Junior School, in Thompson Street West, Darlington, shortlisted for the second year running for its environmental projects. He said: "We know that we are making a difference now because parents are coming and saying that they are being talked into buying organic food, they can't leave the TV on standby and are having to recycle as much as they can. Sustainability will be part of the children's lifestyle and their children will be brought up on it."

* Pearl Hall, on behalf of South Bank Residents' Association, which has played a key part in the revival of the Teesside area despite, at one time, a campaign of intimidation from local youths. She said: "We are fighters, we fought back. We have made such a change that we can walk down the streets of South Bank and we have nearly got zero tolerance."

* The other shortlisted scheme was Friends of Senior Citizens, in Newton Aycliffe, south Durham, which breathed new life into the Neville Community Centre in Neville Parade. Unfortunately no one was able to be present at the ceremony.