FOUR Tenbury community projects have been rewarded for excellence in the Malvern Hills District Council's annual platinum awards.

Tenbury Town Band, which is this year celebrating 20 years of service to the community, has bagged a highly commended for excellence in the voluntary organisation section.

Recognised for their fund-raising efforts and dedication to youth music, the key to the band's success is that anyone can join regardless of ability. Good causes benefiting from band concerts at local fetes, country shows and at The Regal Theatre, include Tenbury Hospital, Tenbury High School and the Air Ambulance.

Clifton-on-Teme Nursery Ltd won the Platinum Community Project Award for its highly successful, flexible child care scheme, set up two years ago by a committee of eight local people keen to establish better provision child care in the area.

Officially opened last year, the nursery is used by around 60 children, who benefit from flexible day care and pre-school education.

Befriending and helping other students gained a highly commended for Tenbury High School's Student Befriending Service that helps prevent bullying in school. Instigated by Year 10 and 11 pupils who took on some serious training in child protection legislation and counselling skills, it has worked well to become a pupil-centred project taken seriously by staff and students.

On the Move, Malvern and district Age Concern's mobile day centre, has done wonders for older people in the Teme Valley. Backed up by a minibus service, the mobile centre, complete with on-board hair dressing, hand and foot care facilities, travels to village halls to form the basis of a social club. For this it received a highly commended award.

Announcing the winners, Adrian Field from the council said: "We would like to see more entries in all categories, especially from the Tenbury area. However, we are delighted with the high standard of entries, particularly in the community and voluntary sections. Tenbury and Teme Valley have done well."