More than 250 people attended the fifth annual Corangamite Youth Achievement Awards on Saturday evening to help celebrate achievements of the 11 award recipients.

People between the ages of 12 and 25 were nominated in a number of areas including community service, music, environment, performing arts, IT, agriculture, multimedia and film, and alternative sports.

Mercy Regional College student Verity Watt received the individual community service award for her efforts. 

Ms Watt, 18, has been involved in a range of activities from a Kids Camp Quality fund-raiser and the World’s Greatest Shave to packing Christmas hampers for St Vincent de Paul and assisting with Christian Outreach at Cooinda Terang. 

“I just try to take advantage of all the opportunities I can and it’s nice to see how helping others can make them feel better,” she said. 

Corangamite mayor Chris O’Connor said the awards were a celebration of the talented young people in the area and an opportunity to showcase their talents and abilities. 

Award winners include: performing arts (individual): Mallory Bellman; performing arts (group): Megan Logan and Matilda Johnson (duet); information technology: Harrison Smith; agriculture: Ricky Nelson; alternative sports (group): interschool dirtbike team, Cobden Technical School; environmental: Georgina Sadler; community service (individual): Verity Watt; community service (group): Hanoi Vietnam study tour group, Timboon P-12; music: Liam King and Bonnie Ailey; visual, multimedia and film: Ashley Young; alternative sports (individual): Laura Jane Shaw and Grace Lee.