Students from across Lowestoft have been honoured during a prestigious annual awards evening.

The Rotary Club of Lowestoft held their annual Michael Marriott Youth Awards event last week.

This event was founded 11 years ago by the late Michael Marriott – a former club president and a local headteacher.

Throughout the past decade, students from Lowestoft's senior schools have competed in numerous award categories. It is estimated that over the years some 90 to 100 awards have been made to winners, and nearly 700 students have participated.

This year the students taking part were mainly in year 11 as they hailed from four schools, Benjamin Britten Academy of Music and Mathematics, East Point Academy, Ormiston Denes Academy and Pakefield High School.

With the students competing in five categories. To be considered for the top awards, the students had taken part in interviews and presentations before panels of Rotarians to find the best student in each of the categories – Performing Arts (Drama), Performing Arts (Music), Performing Arts (Dance), Design and Public Speaking.

The successful winners were presented with a cheque and a certificate at a Rotary dinner event last Wednesday, March 1 by the club president Barry Scaplehorn, Pauleen Marriott, the widow of the founder of the awards scheme, Sally Budden, a trustee of Beach Radio's Help an East Coast Child appeal fund which once again had given a generous donation to the event, and Rotarian Malcolm Berridge.

President Mr Scaplehorn congratulated the winners and all of the students who took part. He said: 'The worldwide Rotary movement values very much indeed being able to work with schools and students in local communities.'