Nominations flooded in from Mercury readers and seven winners were chosen by a panel of judges which included Mr Penrose, Richard Nightingale and Mercury editor Simon Angear.
Mr Nightingale said: “Each and every one of the winners has made an outstanding contribution to their community and it was my honour and privilege to be part of the Community Champions team, giving them the recognition they deserve.“My sincere congratulations to them all and all the work they have done to support the community.”
The winners were invited to the Grand Pier, in Marine Parade, on Saturday to receive an award for their hard work.