Epping Forest district council held its Citizen and Young Citizen of the Year awards on Friday (February 27).

In a ceremony held at Down Hall, in Hatfield Heath, Epping Forest councillors and residents came together to celebrate the people who demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the community in the past year.

The Young Citizen of the Year was won by Evie Foster, a 16 year-old from Loughton who raised money on behalf of the Teenage Cancer Trust by swimming in the English Channel relay.

Evie also helped to produce ‘Generation X’ a video being used to improve the relationship between teenagers and the police across Essex.

She currently volunteers to help children with mental and physical disabilities learn to swim.

The shortlisted nominations included volunteer Marnie Cairns, 14, from Waltham Abbey, and 17-year-old sportsman Daniel Rowden from Buckhurst Hill.

Cllr Mary Sartin said they were the ‘strongest candidates for Young Citizen of the Year’ the council had ever seen.

She said: “Each has shown compassion, maturity and dedication well beyond their years. Indeed, few of our older residents could match the contributions already made by these three young people.”

The Citizen of the Year was won by Letitia Berry treasurer and chairman of the Epping Townswomen’s Guild and currently branch secretary for North Weald.

She was an Epping town councillor for more than 20 years including a term as mayor and is also a key figure in Epping Horticultural Society.

Her town-twinning efforts have brought people of Epping and Eppingen in Southern Germany ‘together in friendship’ said a council spokesman.

Community service medals were handed out to Tony Ellis of Ongar, who retired just before Christmas after 50 years as a police officer.

Also awarded was firefighter Roy Manning, who has worked in fire stations across the district most recently in Waltham Abbey and worked closely with young drivers on road safety.

Thomas Bromwich, Olivia Storey, Leonora Troshupa, and Matthew Tinker received the Epping Forest Youth Council Cup 2015, for their special contributions to engagement between young people and older residents of the district.

Host for the night Chairman of Council, Cllr Tony Boyce said: ”This evening celebrates the contributions of people made over many years to our community. But recognition should not start in old age.

"One of the best measures of a good healthy community is the pride it takes in the contributions of its young people. And in this, I believe, Epping Forest has an excellent track-record."

He also thanked Daniel Sugarman of Remedy Recruitment in Loughton and Mr and Mrs Vadher of the hardware shop House to Home in Epping who have played a huge part in helping him raise £14,000 towards his fundraising target selling yellow t-shirts during the Tour De France.