THE “driving force” behind Fordingbridge Greener Living has been honoured with the Rotary Club's Citizen of the Year award.

Wendy Reid was given the award in recognition of her work with the community group, which was started last year.

“The award is an honour and I’m very grateful and very pleased to be be able to share it with the group,” she said. “It is wonderful that the work we have been doing as Greener Living is being acknowledged by the town council and the Rotary Club.”

The group’s projects include crisp packet recycling, a community recycling shed, clothes exchanges and a community fridge to name just a few.

The Fordingbridge Greener Living group has now got 700 members with a core of 60 or 70 people who are actively involved in supporting projects.

“It represents an award for the group. Not just me.” added Wendy, who also says without people in Fordingbridge supporting those projects they would not have happened.

Wendy was nominated by Fordingbridge Town Council.

The nomination said: “Wendy has done so much within recent months to improve both the town’s environmental impact and as a result its community life too. She is the driving force behind the Fordingbridge Greener Living Group, which began life as a small Facebook group of people responding to the climate emergency, looking for ways to reduce their personal carbon footprint.

“With a team of volunteers, Wendy has set up a number of environmental projects within the town. She has worked with the district douncil to arrange for a Tetra Pak recycling container to be site in the car park opposite the recreation ground. She has opened a community recycling shed and spearheaded a community fridge.

“Wendy would be the first to say that this is a team effort, but without her hard work these achievements would not have been realised in such a short space of time. Not only has the environment benefitted from Wendy’s work, but the community is far richer for the part Wendy plays in it.”

Speaking at the town council's meeting last week, the then mayor of Fordingbridge, Councillor Paul Anstey, said: “On behalf of the whole council we would really like to thank Wendy and that it is an absolutely well-deserved award. In recent times her work with the community fridge has been absolutely invaluable.”

Wendy has also been given £200 to give to a charity of her choice and plans to donate it to Fordingbridge Greener Living to support its projects.

She will be presented with the Fordingbridge Rotary Club award at a later date.

To find out more about the group go to fordingbridgegreenerliving.org