MID Sussex District Council celebrated the outstanding contributions made by young people by hosting the fifth annual Young Volunteer of the Year Awards.

The council organised a prestigious awards ceremony at Borde Hill Gardens, Haywards Heath.

The winner of the Young Leader Award was 17 year-old Melissa Turner, who volunteers in the drama department at Sackville School, East Grinstead.

Melissa dedicates her spare time to running a drama club for younger students and she assists school staff in certain lessons by providing additional support for young people in the class who struggle with practical work.

The Young Community Volunteer Award was awarded jointly to 18 year-old Cameron Gregory from Burgess Hill and 17 year-old Bethany Stimson from East Grinstead.

Cameron volunteers at Burgess Hill Youth, a club that provides a range of fun activities for younger people in the town.

He leads on group activities, provides essential IT support and recently provided valuable assistance on two outings for young carers.

Bethany volunteers at the Quarry Café in East Grinstead, a facility that is run by the community for the benefit of the community.

Beth has contributed 119 hours and has proved to be an outstanding volunteer with her calm, attentive manner and willingness to learn.

The Young Achiever award went to 16 year-old Alicia Turner from Hassocks.

Alicia provides practical and emotional care for her younger brother both before and after school.

The Peer Nominated Award was awarded jointly to 16 year-old Andrew Galt from Lindfield and 15 year-old Alex Wilmore.