Seething Wells was celebrating last night after winning £25,000 for community activities in the first Britain Has Spirit awards.

The group - known for the Seething Festival, Ski Sunday and more - had battled against grassroots organisers from across the country in an online vote.

Before the voting opened Simon Tyrrell, from the Community Brain, had called the potential windfall a "truly enabling amount of money" that would allow a "step-change" in the group's activity.

A traditional giant cheque was presented at a ceremony at the Barbican last night.

Seething organiser Robin Hutchinson said: "We went into the final thinking we were second.

"In fact, I had written a tweet and was ready to send it, and then they announced we weren't second.

"They announced it and it was pandemonium. Everyone felt it was slightly unreal, and then it was tears of joy."

Initial thoughts turned to keeping the Museum of Futures and its community kitchen running, he said.

Read more: Bubbles flow as the Museum of Futures' community kitchen is unveiled

He added: "We want to make sure our events are as open and accessible to as many people as possible, I think conceptually and making sure as many people who want to contribute can do.

"It allows us to plan ahead a bit more instead of working in the short term.

"What we do have to do is thank all the people who voted. That was just an amazing effort. It's staggering that so many people participated."

The awards were launched by TV presenter Gabby Logan and Together Mutual Insurance in response to the company's research, which claimed nearly half of Britons did not feel they were part of a "neighbourly community".

More than 300,000 votes were cast over nine months across the local and national competitions.