Volunteers who have committed 100 hours of their time to helping others were awarded with a cash prize last week, Friday 2 July.

The award ceremony was led by Deputy Mayor Councillor Margaret Brierly and took place in Merton’s council chamber and recognised volunteers for their dedication and services.

Organisations who registered their volunteers were also awarded with a cash prize.

The competition was open to anyone over 16 who lives or volunteers in Merton, offering at least 100 hours of their time from April 2007 and March 2010.

Volunteers were encouraged to register, ­sign up and help the council find out how many residents were giving up their time and energy for others. All those individuals who registered were entered into a draw with a chance to win up to £250 and organisations could win up to £1,000.

Chosen from 1,550 volunteers, Lesley Bixby, Loris Richards, Hilary Goode, Judy Lynch, Jane McKerrell and Kanthasamy Manoharan were awarded with a cash prize for dedicating their time and valuable skills such as counselling, gardening, mentoring, home help, reading help and volunteering for various organisations. Three organisations – All Saints Church of England Primary School, Sustainable Merton and Bookfest were awarded with a cash prize for registering their volunteers.

Merton Council’s cabinet member for community and culture, Cllr Martin Whelton said, “It is really amazing to see that so many people are volunteering and contributing to many groups and organisations within Merton. I would like to thank all of them for the work they undertake in the community and these ceremonies recognise and highlight the fantastic job they do.”