A 90-year-old Monmouthshire man has won two awards at the Tidy Wales Awards - while a number of Gwent groups also came home with titles.

Michael Barnfather has spent the last two decades keeping his neighbourhood tidy, facing all weathers to litter pick across a large area of Monmouthshire.

Now 90, he can regularly be seen walking long distances, inspiring other families to join his efforts and get involved.

Mr Barnfather said: "I didn’t expect to win anything really, because there were so many other great nominees.”

He won the Volunteer of the Year Award, sponsored by Bute Energy, and also took home the Outstanding Achievement Award

Since 1990, the Tidy Wales Awards have given Keep Wales Tidy the opportunity to shine a light on unsung environmental heroes across the country.

The Co-Star Partnership, Torfaen, won the Circular Economy Innovation Award, sponsored by CEIC, while Parc Nant-y-Waun, Blaenau Gwent, took home the Award for Nature's Heroes, sponsored by Transport for Wales, for its work transforming a post-industrial waste ground into a designated local nature reserve.

The other Tidy Wales Awards 2024 winners were: Friends of Parc Nant-y-Waun, Award for Nature’s Heroes sponsored by Transport for Wales; Friends of Anglesey Coast Path, Beautiful Coast Award sponsored by Archer Technology Group; Llangattock Litter Pickers, Caru Cymru (‘Love Wales’) Community Award sponsored by Helping Hand Environmental; Adullam Homes, Denbighshire, Caru Cymru (‘Love Wales’) Business Award sponsored by Berry Global; Ysgol Pen Rhos, Eco-Schools Innovation Award sponsored by Second Life Products Wales; The Co-Star Partnership, Circular Economy Innovation Award sponsored by CEIC; Hope St Mellons, Community Food Growing Award sponsored by The Moondance Foundation; Brighter Futures, Community Transformation Award sponsored by Huws Gray; and The Livings Seas Youth Forum, Youth Climate Change Champion Award sponsored by Blake Morgan LLP.

Keep Wales Tidy chief executive Owen Derbyshire said: ““In an uncertain world, the passion and commitment of these unsung heroes provides real hope, and drives tangible, positive change in our communities. To our 2024 winners, I extend my warmest congratulations; your work exemplifies the very best of what we can achieve together.”