Everyone A Winner When South Bucks Volunteers Step Forward

UNSUNG heroes of South Bucks were celebrated on Wednesday (November 25th) at an award ceremony hosted by South Bucks District Council to recognise good citizenship and community spirit in the District.

The Chairman holds these annual awards in order to recognise the contribution of individuals and groups who provide valuable voluntary work in the District.

Chairman of South Bucks District Council, Cllr Deirdre Holloway hosted the fifth South Bucks Community and Volunteers Awards and presented nominees with framed certificates with the winners receiving trophies. The Council Chamber was full of guests who couldn’t fail to be inspired by the heart-warming stories of each nominee.

Councillor Adrian Busby, South Bucks District Council’s Leader says: “We have lots of people in South Bucks who give their time freely to help others in the community. They do this year in, year out without any recognition. The Chairman’s Community and Voluntary Awards reception is about acknowledging all the hard work that goes on by volunteers.

I would like to congratulate all the winners and thank them, and all of the nominees, for the contributions they are making to the lives of many people across the district – their time and commitment is truly appreciated. Each one is an inspiration to others. It is impossible to properly measure the positive impact of the work they do but I’m quite sure all their communities would be far worse off without them.”

Residents were asked to nominate under five main categories with two Chairman’s Special Awards.

The YOUNG PERSON’S SPORTS ACTIVATOR AWARD went to Anna Collin – Anna is a Young Sports Ambassador at Beaconsfield High School. From day one, Anna has thrown herself into her role. She has worked tirelessly throughout the year to promote the Olympic values and to inspire others to get involved in physical activity - not just in her own school, but also in the wider community. She recently helped organise a wheelchair basketball tournament to raise funds and awareness for the Paralympics wheelchair basketball team for 2012. Anna also volunteers at the Disability Club in Holtspur. (Lives in Penn, volunteers in South Bucks)

The YOUNG PERSON’S GOING THE EXTRA MILE AWARD went to Aran Houlihan – Aran is an active volunteer in the parish of St. Teresa’s Church in Beaconsfield. He helps at many events. For the past two years however, he has helped to take groups of elderly, sick and disabled parishioners on a week long residential visits to Lourdes. Raising the money needed to attend, working long hours without complaining, being ready and willing with any task. (Beaconsfield)

The YOUNG PERSON’S KEEN TO BE GREEN AWARD went to Barney Heffernan - Barney began volunteering last year. He started with a regular once-a-week volunteer group clearing wonderland tracks, enlarging heath land, coppicing hazel and carrying out other useful environmental tasks around the Bucks Country Parks (mainly at Black Park and Langley Park). He now regularly does extra shifts, whatever the task or weather. He has consistently proven himself reliable, extremely hardworking, quick to learn, very easy going and is as productive as a paid member of staff. (Iver Heath)

The YOUNG PERSON’S CHAIRMAN’S SPECIAL AWARD went to Helen Spooner - Helen took part in a five day run from Portugal to Spain, a distance of just over 100 miles to raise money for Thames Hospice Care. Helen has raised over £3000 for Thames Hospice Care.

After 24 hours of running and 100 miles, Helen reached Santiago. She sustained an injury on her 4th day which prevented her from running but, not only did she summon the strength to carry on running on the 5th day, but she had already made plans to do a 20 mile run on her return, to make up the missing miles.

This is an outstanding achievement, worthy of recognition at the highest levels. She is an inspiration to other students at Beaconsfield High School and has already inspired a number of staff to do their own charity events. (Farnham Common)

Adult awards

The SPORTS ACTIVATOR AWARD went to Mike Logan - Mike dedicates a huge amount of his time to supporting and developing young people in Gerrards Cross and Fulmer. Mike has been a coach at the Drifters Rugby club for three years coaching U9s, U10s and U11s and has recently taken on the management of the cricket club’s U11s team. He arranges tours and tournaments for the youngsters and makes a point of ensuring that the less able players are also able to participate in matches and are very much a part of the team. Mike cares passionately about young people and about giving them the opportunity to fulfil their potential. (Gerrards Cross)

The STILL GOING STRONG AWARD went to Josephine Eden - Since moving to Burnham 40 years ago Josephine has made a major contribution to the local community. She has used her caring, practical and musical abilities to good effect in many ways: both within community groups and when supporting individuals. Through the Burnham Community Association, she helps run the Monday Club for older people and continues to visit people she knows who have suffered health problems and particularly some who have been confined to home or hospital for a period of time. As an organist and pianist she also plays at a number of local churches. Josephine is blessed with energy, patience and alertness to the needs of others and the local community is most definitely enriched by her many contributions. (Stoke Poges)

The WHERE THERE’S A WILL THERE’S A WAY AWARD went to Francis Gahan, Francis has been associated with South Bucks Riding for the Disabled for over 20 years. He was first involved as a rider having been born with spina bifida. As time went on he found riding increasingly difficult. After several operations Francis was no longer able to get into the pony trap, but rather than leave the group he switched roles from group user to helper.

He is a vital member of the ‘Saturday’ team, being a ‘meeter and greeter’, taking and giving messages and filling in registers. He is the calm friendly face that the children and parents look forward to seeing during the Saturday riding sessions.

When there are competitions in Fulmer, Francis will stay for long hours, stewarding, checking horses and riders in and out of the arenas, helping the event run like clockwork. Getting around is not easy for Francis, he is an inspiration with the enthusiasm he brings with him every Saturday morning. (Lives in Slough but volunteers in Fulmer)

The GOING THE EXTRA MILE AWARD went to Gay Hutchings-Hay - Gay started her training with Wycombe Rape Crisis (as it was known back then) in 2001 and began counselling survivors of sexual violence in 2002. Gay has gone the extra mile by not just counselling but taking an active part in Rape Crisis (Wycombe, Chiltern & South Bucks). Counselling survivors of sexual violence is demanding and stressful and it takes a special person to support them. Gay is able to ‘switch off’ and continue with her busy life. She continues to challenge herself and is doing a counselling course at college. Gay is calm, wise, and emphatic and is committed not only to her service users but to staff, volunteers and the future of Rape Crisis. (High Wycombe – Volunteers for Rape Crisis Wycombe, Chiltern and South Bucks)

The KEEN TO BE GREEN AWARD went to Joyce Sheriff and Joyce has been a volunteer at South Bucks Riding for the Disabled Association for over 20 years. Besides helping and supporting the riders in her professional role Joyce has had a much more wider influence in promoting being ‘green’. She has created ‘tub gardens’ which are used to filter waste horse drinking water, avoiding rubbish entering the drainage system, while the plants she has chosen encourage butterflies and discourage flies from the stable areas.

Through Joyce’s efforts all paper, plastics, glass and metals are regularly recycled. The group has now developed a good awareness of recycling, taking the green option wherever possible and a keen anti waste attitude. She always leads by example. (Ascot – volunteers in Fulmer)

The CHAIRMAN’S SPECIAL AWARD went to Ann Mitchell - Ann has been a member of the Gerrards Cross Parish Council since 1970 and Chairman of various committees and of the whole council: she only retired this year at the grand age of 90. Ann has been involved in may organisations in Gerrards Cross including the Conservation Volunteers Group, Age Concern, the Abbeyfield Care Home, St. James’ Church and the Memorial Centre where she was crowned the ‘Jumble Queen’. This involved giving many hours to the week long event to ensure that large sums of money were raised. On her retirement from jumble queen, Ann organised and provided lunches for the 100 plus helpers on a daily basis. Ann has served the community of Gerrards Cross well and for a very long time and there are many young old people who have benefited from the services that she has organised and helped to run. Ann is a great motivator and leads from the front, always prepared to take on any task to achieve the desired result. (Gerrards Cross)

If you’d like to find out more about opportunities for volunteering, the Chiltern and South Bucks Volunteer Centre can assist you with ideas and support. They can match your interests and skills with the time you have available so that you can enjoy volunteering. The Volunteer Centre can be contacted on 01895 837545 or joy.volaction@googlemail.com or further details can be found on their website www.voluntaryaction.org

Everyone who submitted a nomination was entered in to a prize draw to win £100 for their chosen South Bucks community or voluntary group of their choice, The winner was Rosemary Seagrove (Beaconsfield) and she donated the prize money to Bucks Vision.

Thank you to everyone who nominated - look out for the entry form for the 2010 Community and Volunteers Awards on the South Bucks District website in the summer.

ends.