A Chester pensioner who is highly valued by the members of his own community has been honoured at a star-studded awards ceremony in London.

Dame Esther Rantzen led the Churchill Awards ceremony for the over 65s, to honour the continuing achievements of those in this age group across all realms of society.

Alongside the celebrities and famous faces, a special Churchill Owner Award went to Chester’s Bill Morgan, honouring his contribution to daily life at Churchill’s Eaton Lodge development on Hoole Road.

He was nominated for this special award by his fellow residents, who commented that Bill is enormously appreciated and valued by many people in the local community, and especially those who live at Eaton Lodge.

This year’s other Churchill Award winners included Sir David Jason, Sir James Dyson, Lord Melvyn Bragg), Baroness Joan Bakewell, Moira Stewart and Sir Geoff Hurst and Gordon Banks.

Now in their sixth year, The Churchill Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of those aged over 65 and their contribution to British life during the past year.

The winners were announced at an exclusive lunchtime ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental in London.

The judging panel for this year’s awards included other well-known figures such as Dame Jacqueline Wilson, David Courtney, Humphrey Ocean and Lawrie McMenemy.

Churchill ambassador Dame Esther Rantzen said: “I wholeheartedly congratulate the winners of these awards for providing us with such remarkable role models.

“They have all made a difference to the lives of millions of people over the past year, and this is a wonderful opportunity to showcase and celebrate their achievements.

“We will continue to be inspired by them and learn from them.”

Chairman and CEO of Churchill Retirement Living, Spencer McCarthy, added: “The Churchill Awards highlight everything the over 65s contribute to our society, and recognise the significant amount they still have to offer.

“It also an opportunity to reward ordinary people whose achievements deserve to be more widely recognised, so it was a pleasure to welcome Oriana to celebrate with us this year.

“I would like to thank all our judges and everyone who has played a part in these awards, which continue to go from strength to strength.”

For more information on the awards visit churchillretirement.co.uk/churchill-awards.