A COMMUNITY awards evening has been held in north Durham.

Leisureworks, the trust for sport and art in Derwentside, held the event on Friday at the Empire Theatre in Consett.

The aim was to celebrate local achievements in sport and physical activity at the annual ceremony.

It brought together a range of sports clubs, coaches, schools and businesses.

The evening was compered by Lisa Shaw and Katie Bulmer-Cooke, the North-East fitness entrepreneur who took part in television series The Apprentice last year, was the guest speaker.

Emma Lloyd, sports development officer for Leisureworks, said: “It’s been a fantastic evening celebrating achievements in sport and physical activity within our community.

“This year the standards of entry were extremely high and all nominees have shown great dedication and commitment.

“The sport and physical activity awards are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate this hard work, and I look forward to continuing working with local clubs, coaches, volunteers, performers and schools in the future.”

Entertainment was provided by Consett Leisure Centre’s new Fitworks group exercise team, who presented a demonstration of its fitness class concept using glow sticks, party tracks and dance steps to keep fit.

The Leisureworks Primary Dance Academy also demonstrated their new dance routines on stage, choreographed by dance coach Rebecca Ward.