A HOLLYWOOD-backed beach hut described as a 'haven of solace' for cancer patients has won a prestigious national award.

The picturesque hut at Lyme Regis is operated by a cancer support group which was able to purchase a five year lease thanks to funding from the producers of the new Mary Anning biopic Ammonite starring Oscar winner Kate Winslet which was partly filmed at the same beach.

The building has been named Beach Hut of the Year 2020 in a national competition run by Millie’s Beach Huts and Ryan’s insurance brokers.

The quaint four-walled wooden hut is run by Axminster and Lyme Cancer Support and provides comfort and refuge for people living with cancer.

Judges chose it as the overall winner based on its 'incredible devotion' to providing hundreds of people living with cancer a place to seek solace and refuge either alone of with their friends and family.

Mary Kahn from the support group said: “We are delighted that our ‘little shed by the sea’ has won the best beach hut award from Ryan’s Insurance.

"Our beach hut is more than a wooden shed by the sea. It is a refuge for the anxious, the sick, the bereaved and those who want to spend valuable time with family before the opportunity is gone – a chance of solace and relief, time to say what needs to be said or not say anything at all but listen as the waves gently sigh across the shingle. It is wonderful to have what we do recognised.”

The group receives £300 plus one year’s free insurance on the hut, a luxury hamper, as well as a winner’s plaque.

In the absence of a cancer care centre in west Dorset and east Devon, Macmillan-backed Axminster and Lyme Cancer Support was set up in 2018 to provide a wide variety of services. These include creative activities, holistic therapies, relevant diet and lifestyle information, and mutual support to help people cope with the fear, anxiety, isolation or stress that cancer can bring.

The lease on the beach hut is funded by the Ammonite Grant, awarded via Lyme Regis Town Council – a donation from the producers of the film.

Tracy Healey representing the judges from Ryan’s said: “We loved reading this entry and the continuing work Axminster and Lyme Cancer Support do for their local community."

She added: “We received a great number of entries, including stories that have made us laugh, cry, and reminisce. We really are in awe of the amazing uses people put their beach huts to, and especially this year, which has been especially challenging for everyone."