TEENAGERS from the West Somerset Community College have beaten off competition from across the region to win a prestigious award that recognises their community spirit.

The college's Rotary-sponsored and linked Interact Club of Minehead has scooped the Rotary District 1200 Citizen of the Year Award.

Nominations for the award can come from any of the 60 Rotary clubs in the district, which covers an area from Minehead in the west to Devizes in the east, Chippenham in the north down to Weymouth in the south.

The college-based club received the accolade in recognition of its support for Buhemba School in Uganda.

With sponsorship from the Rotary Club of Minehead a party of students and teachers from the college travelled to Uganda in 2008.

The aim was to fence an area of land for a farm at the school to grow food to serve in the school canteen.

The trip was followed by further visits to the Ugandan school in 2010 and 2011, latterly to build a a cookhouse to replace the existing one which was falling down.

And the Interact Club is now planning a further visit to the school to install solar panels to provide electricity to drive computers previously donated by the college.

The interact club and sixth form student Abi Smith have been recognised by Rotary International and presented with certificates in recognition of their work in the community.

Abi has raised more than £1,000 for breast cancer research with a sponsored sky dive and a coffee morning at the college.

Pictured: West Somerset Community College's winning Interact Club - from the left, at the back, Sophie Batts, David Burt, Stefan McCann, Jacob Swinton, Chiron Loxton, Aston Withey and Ashley Payne; in front, teacher Simon Rossiter, Deanna Payne, Edward Griffin, Alex Wilmoth, Jack Griffin and Byron Mann.

Photo: Steve Guscott