LONG-TIME community activist Les Fawcett has been rewarded for making a big difference to his neighbourhood.

The tireless worker has won Middlesbrough's Citizen of the Year award for his activities in the town centre community where he lives.

After picking up his award, he said: "I think that if everyone who is capable of it gave just a couple of hours a week, then we would see real change for the better. I am a big believer in volunteering. There are an awful lot of people with real skills that could be used to improve the town and communities."

He has done much work at St Aidan's Community Church and helped the project secure a grant to renovate the kitchen in the hall and to transform the overgrown land next to it.

For many years, he has worked with the University of Teesside, his local community council and the community council's cluster group to organise an annual concert for 300 older people.

While vice-chairman of the Southfield Community Council, he also helped set up an award-winning project to cut car crime.

Jenny McIver, who nominated him and manages the mental health day centre at St Aidan's, said: "He has been a great help in securing funding for important projects, but more than that, everyone in the groups looks on his as a great friend. He visits every week to chat and spend time with the people who come here and gives so much of himself.

"We couldn't think of a better winner."