The Beccles and Bungay Journal Award for Fresh Idea of the Year 2021 goes to Beccles Community Hub.

Beccles Community Hub, on Blyburgate, brings all sections of the town's community together and is run by Councillor Caroline Topping with the building being owned by Charlie Nevitt, one of the directors of local shop Sportstore.

Last month we launched the Beccles and Bungay Journal Awards 2021 to praise all that is good in our towns and villages, from thriving businesses to charity fundraisers and events that captured people's imagination.

Councillor Topping said: "Oh my goodness. What amazing news. We have only been open three months.

"It is humbling being able to provide this sort of support for the community, we are making new friends and signposting and helping lots of people.

"I am so grateful that Charlie from the Sports Store and Holly from Saxons gave me the opportunity to test this out by lending me the building for three months free of charge to see if it was needed.

"Melanie Goodwin has been with me since day one as a volunteer and now we have a small but strong team of volunteers making it possible to open several hours a day, four days a week making the space more accessible.

"The goal is to open full time and we always welcome new volunteers to join us.

"It is the must humbling, exciting, rewarding experience.

"Many thanks to those wonderful people who have given their time so freely to run free social gatherings upstairs and many many thanks to all those 100’s of people who have donated items to the hub in order for them to be distributed freely within the community."