IT’S not often that someone goes from festival rock star to local hero, but one Oxfordshire musician has proved it can be done.

Joe Bennett, co-organiser of the county’s annual Truck Festival, has been named a Community Champion by the Vale of the White Horse District Council for his services to local good causes.

Joe is a well-known figure for organising not only the Truck festival, which takes place each summer in Steventon, but the Wood festival, near Wallingford, and OX4 in East Oxford. He stages each event with his brother Robin. The pair are also notable musicians in their own right, playing in the band Danny and the Champions of the World.

The honour comes in the same month that Wood received a Best Festival award in a national contest.

Robin collected the accolade from journalist Rosie Boycott at The Oldie Travel Awards, at a ceremony in London.

Truck Festival has been running for 13 years and this summer attracted nearly 5,000 revellers.

It also raised more than £40,000 for locally-based good causes, including St Michael’s Church in Steventon, the Mali Development Fund, and the Didcot and Wantage Rotary Clubs.

Robin said: “We are really proud of what we have been able to achieve in such a short amount of time.

“When travelling to festival awards, you get to see what big business festivals are now. So to be able to create great events with such a small company is great.”

Most of the charity money is raised through the Truck bar, with more generated through stalls and catering.

Members of Didcot Rotary Club serve burgers and chips every year.

President Brian Key, said: “The Rotary Club of Didcot has been involved with the catering at Truck for many years.

“It is such a good weekend, as well as being a major part of our annual fundraising for local charities. Long may it continue.”

The club have used the money to sponsor local girl guide groups, the Didcot Citizens’ Advice Bureau and also sent shelter boxes to Haiti.

Robin said upcoming festivals in 2011 would continue to build on their success.

He said: “We are working on making next year’s Truck bigger and better than it has even been, with a whole new layout.

“It’s going to keep the same elements, but also be dramatically different, so I think people will love it.”

The organisers are also busy planning the fourth Wood festival, which takes place at Braziers Park, in the Chilterns, in late spring.

At the Oldie Awards, judge Clover Stroud said: “Wood is as close to the freewheeling idea of what a music festival really should be like as you’ll find in this country, and makes the bigger festivals look like glorified supermarkets. Glastonbury, take note.”

Tickets go on sale on December 1.