A COMMUNITY education project that helped build the skills of people in the South Sefton housing market renewal area was celebrated at a glittering awards ceremony.

The Community Champions Awards were held at Bootle Town Hall on Thursday June 26, and were compered by popular Radio City DJ Pete Price.

More than 70 people gathered for the event, where community groups from across Bootle, Litherland, Waterloo and Seaforth received awards and certificates.

One of the guest presenters on the night was Louise Foster, 14, the recent winner of the Liverpool Echo's Anthony Walker Young Citizen of the Year Award.

The evening was the culmination of a project that started in December last year across the HMR area.

Local people were invited to take part in workshops and informal sessions that taught them about key community skills such as organising events and engaging residents. The bulk of the programme was delivered by HMR programme co-ordinator Karen McComish, with other partners.

The sessions were held in community centres, and around 40 people took part. 28 of those received formal qualifications from the National Open College - for many of them, marking their first return to education since leaving school, and in some cases their first ever formal qualification.

The project also equipped them with extra skills, abilities and confidence, which they can use back within their communities.

The education sessions were backed up by grants from the Housing Market Renewal fund, given to key organisations in the neighbourhoods and to the Ability Network.

The money was used to help the groups plan events as part of European Good Neighbour Day on May 27. The events included the painting of the Queens Road underpass; the launch of the Klondyke Community Directory; an arts project and exhibition at Waterloo Community Centre; a carnival day at Bowersdale Park in Seaforth, an open day at the Linacre Mission and a conference by the Ability Network at Bootle Cricket Club.

The Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities fund provided funding for the Community Champions programme. It was delivered in a partnership between Sefton HMR and Sefton CVS, which provides support and advice to charities and community groups in the area.

On the night of the awards, neighbourhood groups received stylish glass trophies and certificates. People also enjoyed a buffet and drinks, and entertainment.

Karen McComish said: "The whole programme has been an excellent way of building the capacity of local people, adding to their skills and knowledge within a community setting that they felt comfortable with. I very much enjoyed working with all of them."

Host Pete Price said: "It was a smashing night that lifted the spirits - it was all about community, about people working together, about bringing back some of those old-fashioned values that people of my age remember growing up with."