The former CEO of the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich has said it is "quite special" after winning a top award at the UK Theatre Awards.

Sarah Holmes was CEO of the New Wolsey Theatre for 22 years, and has this year, been awarded the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre Award.

Sarah, who is originally from New Zealand, said: "I actually feel deeply affected by this.

"When you get a nod from your industry that you might be doing something okay, it is quite special."

Sarah was selected to win this award for 'constantly championing access and inclusion, spear-heading the post of Agent for change and applying criteria to her own programming policy about inclusion.'

Sarah, and her husband Peter Rowe, who was artistic director at the Wolsey, left their roles at the theatre earlier this year in June.

"When I found out, it came at a really important time for me.

"I was close to leaving or had just left, and I was having some doubts that people have when you've done a job for a long time.

"I was thinking if only I had done this better, should I have done something else, so there was that self doubt.

"But winning this, you think, well other people seem to think I had done a good job, I should just relax a bit now and enjoy the time off."

Sarah joined the New Wolsey in 2000 when it had been closed for 18 months.

She continued: "There's been loads of fantastic brilliant challenges on the way, but the lockdown was the most dispiriting without a doubt.

"We were really trying to run a venue, run an organisation that was all about creating live experiences for people and you couldn't do that anymore."

Sarah will collect her award at a ceremony at the Guildhall in London on October 23.

She said: "My speech will be what comes out my mouth at the time.

"I hope I will eventually build it to be quite succint."

The New Wolsey Theatre has also been nominated for the UK's most welcoming theatre award.