Bury St Edmunds residents are being encouraged to nominate a family member, friend, neighbour or colleague for the Citizen and Young Citizen of the Year awards.

Each year Bury St Edmunds Town Council marks St Edmund’s Day by presenting civic awards to two people whose work is very valuable and often underappreciated in the community.

The Citizen and Young Citizen of the Year awards are presented at a celebration hosted by the town council.

Greg Luton, the town clerk, said: ‘We all know of volunteers who do great things for Bury, its people, our places and spaces.

“Often, although these people are known, we do very little to recognise them.

“In our small way we want to redress this by getting everyone to nominate anyone who has made Bury a better place in the last year. We know they’re out there, so please tell us.”

The town council is asking residents who know someone who has made a significant voluntary contribution to the life of the town and deserves some recognition to nominate them.

As long as the good work they do takes place in the town, they are eligible.

Additionally, the ‘Young Citizen of the Year’ will be awarded to an under 18-year-old. The nominee can be anyone, a long term carer, or any young person who has performed an outstanding service for the benefit of the community of Bury St Edmunds.

Nomination forms must be returned to the Bury St Edmunds Town Council office at 7 Angel Hill no later than close of business on Wednesday, October 17.

In all cases the nominated person has to have made their contribution in the parish of Bury St Edmunds, but the nominator need not be a local person.

Last year’s awards presentation evening was held on Tuesday, November 14, with Jane Frost winning the Citizen of the Year title for her work with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Association in the town.

Mrs Frost was recognised for organising events and outings for the group, upkeep of the building and fundraising.

The Young Citizen of the Year prize 2017 went to Phoebe Hastings for her fundraising efforts for Children in Need.

The teenager raised more than £1,500 for the charity after organising and taking part in several activities including a sponsored four-mile swim.