Agenda item
Presentation of the West Berkshire Community Champion Awards (C3096)
The Chairman will present the following Community Champion Awards for 2016:
· Volunteer of the Year
· Community Group of the Year
· Lifetime Achievement Award
Minutes:
The Chairman announced that the West Berkshire Council Community Champion Awards were launched in September 2014. In addition to the pre-existing Junior Citizen Award, three new awards were created: the Community Group of the Year; Volunteer of the Year; and the Lifetime Achievement Award. An excellent response had been received in three categories in 2016 and the standard of the nominations was very high. He was very disappointed to announce that the authority did not receive any nominations for the Pat Eastop Junior Citizen award.
A judging panel of independent representatives met to consider the nominations and he thanked them for their contribution to the awards. Councillor Webb also thanked all the nominators. He felt that it was very encouraging to hear of the contributions that volunteers made in the community as, increasingly, volunteers would play a greater part in the provision of public services and it was important that their contributions were acknowledged.
The Chairman announced that there would be two winners of the Volunteer of the Year Award. The nominations in this category were particularly impressive and therefore the judging panel chose two joint winners.
The first winner was
Robert Cox from Hungerford Rugby Club.
Rob was nominated by Gary Lugg. Gary explained that Rob had
recently taken over the Chairmanship of Hungerford Rugby Club,
having been the Juniors’ Chairman and driving force for eight
years. In this time, he had increased membership from 30 to over
400 young players from Hungerford, Newbury and surrounding
villages; overseen the extension of the club facilities, including
the clubhouse, car park and additional pitches and set up and run
school tournaments. Rob coached twice a week and helped organise
additional social activities including tours.
Gary said, “Rob is not a man who seeks the limelight or even thanks for his hard work. He will say that he has played a small part but he has put his heart and soul into rugby, the children and the community.”
The panel was particularly impressed by the commitment shown by Rob in the time that he devoted to the club, on a regular basis; the enthusiasm he shared and the clear impact it had had on club numbers and activities. They felt that he was a hugely inspiring and committed leader and that the local community clearly benefitted from his efforts.
The second winner was Lindsey Middlemiss. Lindsey was nominated by James Thomas. She was the founder of West Berkshire Action for Refugees. James explained that Lindsey had played a crucial role in enabling local residents to respond to the refugee crisis and assisting the Council in resettling Syrian refugees in West Berkshire. She used social media to rally support, secured storage space in a local warehouse for donations and organised the first aid convoy to Calais, involving multiple van loads from West Berkshire residents all within six weeks of hearing of the crisis. She had also worked closely with the Council, aiding the resettlement of Syrian families.
James said, “I’m in awe of her persistence, drive and determination in managing all her commitments; starting with no formal funding or support, her achievements in such a short space of time are remarkable.”
The panel commented on the utter devotion shown by Lindsey to the plight of refugees. They felt that she “made things happen” and, as a result, had achieved a huge amount in a relatively short time. They also acknowledged Lindsey’s personal commitment in hosting a refugee in her home and felt that her ability to juggle her many responsibilities was inspirational.
The Chairman then announced the winner of the Community Group of the Year. The judging panel was very impressed by the nominations and decided to award a Highly Commended as well as a winner in this category.
The Highly Commended Award for Community Group of the Year went to Pang Valley Flood Forum, nominated by Jon Winstanley.
The Pang Valley
Flood Forum was a collaborative group aimed at reducing flood risk
throughout the communities in the Pang Valley. Set up in January
2013 as a joint initiative through West Berkshire Council, the
Environment Agency and Thames Water, the Forum acted as a principal
consultation body to the three agencies on flooding and drainage
issues in the Pang Valley. It was run entirely by volunteers from
the 10 Parishes in the Pang Valley, with representatives from the
three agencies attending the quarterly meetings and helped both
individual homeowners as well as Parish Councils to achieve
improvements in flood resilience.
Jon said, “This is an excellent community led Forum which is used as an example to other parish groups within river catchments with historic flooding problems. They are proactive, resourceful, organised and determined to make a real positive difference to the communities in which they live.”
The panel noted the size of the Forum and the fact that it included ten parishes and 30 to 40 volunteers. They felt that the local knowledge of the volunteers together with the Forum’s collaborative approach was key to its success and that volunteers themselves were often the unsung heroes, helping reduce the impact of what could be a devastating situation and therefore wished to Highly Commend their efforts.
The winner of this category, however, was Thames Valley Kings nominated by Jacqueline Scoins-Cass. The Thames Valley Kings were a wheelchair basketball club based in Berkshire. As Berkshire's only competitive wheelchair basketball club, they hosted regular training sessions at Kennet Leisure Centre in Thatcham. Founded in 2004, the club provided an opportunity for those with and without physical disabilities, within the Thames Valley area, to participate in sport within a fun and friendly environment. The club was run entirely by volunteers and although, initially a rehabilitation and recreational activity for spinal cord injured patients, the Kings considered 'inclusivity' as the heart of the club and welcomed anyone with or without a disability.
The panel was particularly impressed by how the club had evolved to have both a regional and national presence and the professional approach of the club in working with other organisations in order to maximise opportunities for club members and the wider community. They felt the enthusiasm of those within the club was evident and acknowledged the role the club played in helping people through a potentially very difficult time. They were also very impressed by the fact that the club ethos brought together people, with and without a disability, on equal terms.
The final award was the Lifetime Achievement Award. Once again, the judging panel was very impressed by the nominations and decided to award a Highly Commended as well as a winner in this category too.
The Highly Commended Award for Lifetime Achievement 2016 went to Jill Gent, nominated by Steve Price.
Jill Gent had been Chairman of Beedon Parish Council for 20 years, community supporter, organiser, fund raiser and trustee of two village charities. She had been involved in many village campaigns including road improvements, time capsule installation and village hall renovation. Steve said that this was, “all done quietly in the background, with no wish for publicity; a true stalwart of the Parish Council, another voluntary activity.”
The panel commented on Jill’s many years of service to Beedon Parish and the diversity of the projects that she had been involved in. They also noted her personal generosity for the benefit of the local community.
The winner of the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award was Mary Bedwell from Holybrook. Mary received three separate nominations from Pamela Kirkpatrick, Clive Littlewood and Robin Rimmington.
Mary was a Holybrook Parish Councillor, having served for many years with six of these as Chairman. She was instrumental in the introduction of the Holybrook Family and Community Festival, which had now been taking place for over 10 years. Mary also ran an Over 60s Lunch Club and worked with the Community Forum. Additionally, she served on the local GP’s committee.
Her nominators said, “Mary has dedicated many years to serving the Parish of Holybrook, both as Chairman and councillor. The local community is incredibly lucky to have a Chairman who gives so much time, dedication and, most importantly of all, heart, to serve them. It would be impossible to describe how much effort Mary puts into her work and all of this is in consideration of her age.....”
The panel was impressed with the extent of Mary’s service to the Holybrook Parish; the hours dedicated, over many years, to ensuring that residents receive a professional service from the council. They also noted her work with the wider community including schools and community groups and her running of the Over 60s Lunch Club and significant involvement in the Holybrook Festival. The three nominations spoke of her professionalism, kindness and commitment to the local community and that she was an inspiration to all.
The Chairman thanked all those that had taken the time to attend the meeting.