A 12-YEAR-OLD girl who conquered her fear of heights to raise money for charity has been named Stroud’s Young Person of the Year.

Seren Levay, who has cerebral palsy, raised more than £700 for the Allsorts charity by abseiling down the Ecotricity building.

The Archway School student was one of the winners at the annual Stroud Town Awards held at Lansdown Hall.

Stroud Town Mayor Kevin Cranston said: “I had the honour of taking part in the abseil with Seren and I was deeply impressed with her bravery.”

Edna Powell and the Stroud Show Committee won the community group award for their efforts to stage the popular annual event. Edna is retiring this year.

Lis Parker won the individual community award for organising Stroud’s Goodwill Evening and Lantern Procession.

“That evening gets better every year and has become a real local attraction not to mention a wonderful creative activity for the children,” said Councillor Cranston.

Amanda Godber, who founded Down to Earth Stroud, received the environment award.

She has done a wide range of environmental projects in the town including a gardening assistance scheme funded by the Town Council.

“Amanda has served the town for many years providing a wealth of services, community projects, beautiful gardens and stalls at the market selling veg plants and trees to name but a few,” said Councillor Cranston.

Rodda Thomas, landlord of the Crown and Sceptre pub in Horns Road, won trader of the award.

“The Crown and Sceptre is more than just a pub to the residents of Trinity Ward and beyond,” said Councillor Cranston.

“It is the ward’s primary community venue for events, meetings and music. In a time when more and more pubs are closing, we need to celebrate the successes like the Crown and Sceptre.”

Founding member of Stroud Football Poets and printer Dennis Gould received the Mayor’s Award.

“His poems, posters and polemics adorn the walls of cafes and pubs around Stroud,” said Councillor Cranston.

“Their distinctive design and typography have provided a characteristic and instantly recognisable backdrop to the past 25 years in Stroud.

"Dennis is one of the great characters of Stroud who help to make our town so quirky and individual.”

The new paving scheme for Stroud High Street was selected by Stroud Civic Society for the Design Award and presented to Gloucestershire County Council’s Local Highways Manager Dan Tiffney.

“Stroud is particularly fortunate to have a large number of volunteers who do things to an amazing standard.

"I am pleased that the Council has been able to honour a few of them. It was very hard to choose between so many imaginative high quality nominations,” said Mayor Kevin Cranston.