SLOUGH's volunteers were honoured in an awards ceremony at on Friday night.

Slough Council for Voluntary Service (SCVS) hosted the 2016 Voluntary Sector Awards at the Heathrow Windsor Marriott Hotel.

Over 200 guests attended the event celebrating volunteering and recognising those who are committed to helping their community.

Awards were presented by The Mayor and Business Sponsors, and the winning Charity of the Year also received a £1000 donation, donated by Rotary Club of Slough.

The evening included a dinner, champagne, a raffle and dancing.

There were several winners on the night.

Volunteer of the Year went to Rita Flanagan for her work at the Groundworks Café. She was commended for using her experience to help other disabled volunteers and using the café to create connections with other . Rita has also gone above and beyond her role as café assistant by using the café as a platform to work with other community groups and disability groups in the centre through engaging them in interactive activities.

Callum Fullam won Young Volunteer of the Year for volunteering for over 200 hours and counting since February 2015 with Slough Youth Parliament, the Beehive Foundation and Aik Saath in a variety of roles.

Slough Foodbank was awarded Group of the Year for their work in supporting the increasing number of people in need in the town. Their committed team of volunteers cover around 225 hours a week in a variety of tasks to support this essential service.

A Special Recognition Award was awarded posthumously to Rodney Mallinson, who sadly passed away in September. The popular local figure received the award for engaging patients in positive activities and his work on community well-being over the course of his volunteering.

E. Sargeant & Son Funeral directors took the award for Business Support of the Year due to their sponsorship of many events and activities, including the renovation of parts of Kingsway Community Centre for the benefit of the community.