BLACKBURN with Darwen Council leader Kate Hollern was given the prize for ‘Outstanding Achievement’ at a weekend community awards dinner.

She received the trophy at the ‘1V Community Awards’, held during the One Voice annual dinner, at Maida Restaurant, on Saturday.

Ivy Street Community Centre was named ‘Institute of the Year’, and Abdul Rehman ‘Man of the Year’.Sumaya Khan got the prize for ‘Youth of the Year’, while Shaihida Zulfiqar was announced as the orgnisation’s ‘Woman of the Year’.

One Voice is a community organisation set up to improve the wellbeing of Blackburn’s deprived communities.

Announcing the award for ‘Outstanding Achievement, trustee Faisal Akbar said:“Coun Hollern has spearheaded the ‘Your Call’ campaign to get everyone in the borough to work together to make Blackburn with Darwen a better place.

“For her, it is more than a council initiative – she has lived and breathed it, taking part in many events, and mucking in with residents.

“She also relaunched the 100 Voices Forum to increase cohesion between the communities.”