UNSUNG heroes in Frinton have been handed special awards for their dedication to the town.

Frinton Rotary Club has recognised four residents for going above and beyond in serving the community.

They were invited to attend Frinton Rotary Clubs annual hand-over evening under the premise of celebrating the clubs achievements during the previous 12 months.

Frinton Rotary Club President Paul Williams hosted the evening and gave a heartfelt welcome to the guests before going on to pay recognition to the outstanding contributions each had made to their community.

The awards were presented to Jane Robinson, Sonia Shaljean, Andrew Openshaw and Brian Hosford.

He said: "To serve above self, sits at the very core of Rotary's mission and our guests for the evening represent everything that we at the club believe in.

“To give time, dedication and passion in making a difference, in often unseen circumstances, is heroic and it's fitting that we can once again give recognition to those who have made a significant contribution to others in need.

"The four awards - community service, youth service, vocational service and international service, reflect achieved impact across each category and our recipients rightly deserve our appreciation and applause for their efforts.”

Jane Robinson, who established Walton Food Bank nine years ago, was presented with the community services award, after helping the group to grow in line with the increasing needs of families across the area.

Sonia Shaljean, of the Lads Need Dads charity, was given the youth services award for her work in supporting hundreds of young boys who lack a male role model in their lives with a broad range of programmes from mentoring to life skill coaching.

Receiving the Vocational Services Award was Andrew Openshaw, of Homelands Free Church, was handed the vocation service award for his implementation of a shopping and prescription helpline, collection and delivery service for elderly residents during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

The international services award was presented to Brian Hosford, of Smeets Ferry UK, who collaborated with Frinton Rotary Club, the Women’s Institute and RNLI and volunteered his fleet of trucks and personnel to transport more than 33 tonnes of essential aid to Ukraine.