A BLAENAU Gwent volunteer scooped a major award at a national award ceremony.

Phil Jones, 20, of Blaina, was honoured at the UK’s leading practical conservation charity BTCVA which works with 3,000 volunteers supporting them to take hands-on action to improve their urban and rural environments.

Mr Jones, was awarded the individual achievement award – learner at the family employment initiative awards held at Rhondda Heritage Hotel, for all the hard work and commitment he has shown while working on a wide range of community projects in the Blaenau Gwent area.

The charity’s scheme helps long-term unemployed people learn newskills and provides a stepping stone to employment, Bryan Browne, a practical engagement officer for Ebbw Fach with BCTVA, said: “Phil works extremely hard, and he puts an enormous amount of effort into all the projects he works on.

“He has progressed so much that he now leads other volunteers, and organises their work as well as his own.”