THE STARR initiative at Sandwich has won a prestigious award for its work on The Phoenix Centre project.

It was voted regional winner of the Southeast Market Towns Award 2007, which celebrates excellence in community-led schemes.

The award recognises the STARR (Sandwich Town Action and Rural Revival) initiative’s work on The Phoenix Centre project, a Mercury backed campaign, to transform the near derelict youth club building into a thriving and environmentally friendly community building.

Robert Brady from Action for Market Towns, who organised the awards, said: “The panel were extremely impressed by the level of community involvement in this project.

“STARR has shown dedication to environmentally sustainable development while delivering a much needed community resource in the form of an attractive, accessible centre’.

Phil Scott, chairman of STARR said they were delighted that the last two years of hard work on this project has been recognised at a regional level.

“We have demonstrated that hard work and commitment to our community does pay off. This is wonderful news,” he added.

Cllr Leyland Ridings, chairman of Kent County Council, gave his congratulations to the STARR team.

“I know how hard the volunteers have worked for The Phoenix Centre,” he added.

*The awards are organised nationally by Action for Market Towns, supported regionally by SEEDA and the Southeast Rural Towns Partnership.

They aim to identify and celebrate good practice in the delivery of community-led projects.