TWO men with community and charity at heart have been recognised by their town.

Hugh Stephenson and Bill Foster were presented with scrolls of honour by Spennymoor Town Council in recognition of their public spirit.

Town mayor, Councillor Geoff O’Hehir said he was proud to present scrolls to both men who deserve huge praise for their voluntary work.

He added: "Hugh is a best personality within the town band and has done an incredible amount of fundraising.

"Bill's scroll reflects years of voluntary work."

Mr Stephenson, from Buttermere, is a prolific fundraiser, making £183,000 for local and regional community groups including brass bands, sporting groups, playgroups and churches and he also offers advice on fundraising.

Mr Stephenson, who has worked for Durham County Council’s children and adults services for 36 years, was nominated for outstanding services to the community and brass bands.

He has been involved in North-East brass bands for more than 40 years - a member of Spennymoor Town Band for 31 years and its secretary for 21.

Mr Stephenson said: “The community work and fundraising I do I treat as a hobby, fundraising is relatively easy to me, it is the know how that's difficult.

“As for the fundraising I think I’ll stop when I get to £1million.”

In the last seven months he raised more than £5,000 to secure the financial future of Durham County Brass Band Association which promotes brass banding across the county.

He is also a volunteer with St Cuthbert's Hospice, in Durham.

Army veteran Mr Foster, who served with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers for 24 years, is secretary of the DLI Association’s Spennymoor branch.

He introduced a drumhead service to Spennymoor after seeing one held in Kent while there visiting family and has helped it become a well attended annual event for the town each Armed Forces Day.

The 68-year-old father-of-two is also part of the Brighter Skies fundraising group which supports Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Arnold Sanderson, parade marshal for the town’s Remembrance Parade and a member of the Drumhead Service Committee, nominated Mr Foster for the honour.

He said: “I have seen at first hand the amount of work involved in organising this event.

“The drumhead service was his idea and he puts in all of the spadework, it seems to me to be an important part of Spennymoor’s calendar now.”