THREE community champions from Okehampton and Hatherleigh have won this year's West Devon Borough Council Mayoral Awards.

Kay Bickley and Shirley Friend from Okehampton and Jade Morris from Hatherleigh were at the borough council offices in Tavistock to receive their awards last week.

The awards are presented every year to people who work to make life better for the borough and its communities.

The Over 18 Award went to Shirley Friend, in recognition of her 26 years as a school administrator at Okehampton Primary. Shirley also served the school voluntarily as a staff governor for more than a decade.

The school's headteacher Hazel Fox said: 'She has shown commitment through both her professional and voluntary career to make Okehampton an even better place to live for children.'

She has worked for more than 20 years as a committee member of Okehampton Carnival, and for a number of years she ran a youth club for teenagers in the town.

Jade Morris from Hatherleigh, aged 15, has won the Under 18 Award. Nominated by Hatherleigh Town Council, Jade has played cornet with Hatherleigh Silver Band for seven years, and was part of the team that represented the town and South West England in the National Brass Band Championships. She also plays saxophone for Okehampton College Big Band.

A young leader with the Guides, she has also set up an under 16s netball team, and worked hard to win a grant to buy kit for the team and cover sports fees. Jade also assists with the Hatherleigh Parish Church Sunday Club, working with children.

The Mayor's Green Award has gone to Kay Bickley, who alongside her husband John has transformed her guesthouse business at Upcott House into a 'green hub' through a number of eco-friendly and low carbon initiatives.

Energy and heat for guests is drawn from a solar PV installation, an air source heat pump, and original open fires, fed with solid fuel from their land. Upcott House also has an electric vehicle charging station, the first in Devon available for public use.

Kay has also been part of several community projects, including the Okehampton Community Garden, which is aiming to provide a place for local residents to grow food, flowers and spend time outdoors. Kay was nominated for the award by her daughter Katie.

Kay said: 'It's a double-edged sword for me, because I nominated Fran Rickwood, who has worked on the Okehampton Community Garden and has done a lot of excellent environmental work at Okehampton Primary. So when I found out, we were chuckling together about it.

'I had no idea about the nomination from my daughter, and it is lovely to have your efforts recognised in such a way.'