GROUPS from across Maldon have been celebrated for having a positive impact on health.

The annual Marvel of Mid Awards ceremony saw 12 gongs handed out to community stars.

Organisers, the Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group, held the ceremony at its AGM.

The primary care award went to Longfield Medical Practice GP Sally Dowler while the Maldon practice’s patient participation group also picked up a gong.

David Wilkin, chair of the patient group, said: “Many people may remain unaware of our work - we help to build good relations between the practice staff and our patient members.

“Being privileged to be the chair of this fine group I can say, without restriction, that I' am often humbled but always enormously proud of our members and of the staff who work with us.

“People give their valuable time for others and what they produce for the patient community makes such a positive difference.”

The district’s 4Ts project, which aims to get people involved in village activities, picked up the Age Well award.

It is run by Maldon and District Community Voluntary Service and Maldon District Council.

Sarah Laskar, from CVS, said: “Our win came from the four Ts Project that was developed in strong partnership with a range of organisations including Maldon District Council and the Diocese of Chelmsford.

“The true strength of the project however comes from the communities of Tollesbury and the Tolleshunts who are the real winners of this award.”

Happy Hearts - an exercise club for the over-50s in Maldon, South Woodham Ferrers, Great Baddow and Wickham Bishops - won the Stay Well award.

All Saints Primary School and Longfield Care Home were awarded the Livewell Community Partnership Award for their social experiment the Maldon Up! Project, which brought together school pupils and dementia patients.

Headtacher Philip Brown said: “It was really exciting and nice to be recognised for all the hard work which we have put into the project in the last year.

“It was also really good to see so many other people being recognised.

“We had been nominated for another award and weren’t successful. We just thought ‘we have come along and it was nice to be part of the evening’, then the last award was given out.”

The school hopes to extend the project and is hoping to raise £12,512.

Mr Brown added: “In the first couple of weeks £1,700 has been donated. We now need to keep the momentum going so we can keep the project going for a second year.”

You can donate by visiting https://www.spacehive.com/maldon_up_project.