On Friday July 12th, over 100 people joined in a special evening at Bawburgh Golf Club, celebrating local volunteers at South Norfolk Council’s Community Awards.
Ten awards were handed out to the extremely worthy winners, all of whom are making a big difference in the district.
Several of the winners are Wymondhammers including Diana Grant, appointed Volunteer of the Year. Richard Wills of the Wymondham-based training and development consultancy business RWTA Ltd had the “privilege to both sponsor and present the award to her”. He said that “volunteers are the backbone of our communities. Without them many of the things that we take for granted in our lives just wouldn’t happen. Sponsoring this award gave my business the opportunity to say thank you by celebrating incredible people like Diana.”
Council Chair, Cllr Sharon Blundell, expressed pride in all those who were nominated:
“We received over 100 exceptional nominations, making the short-listing process very difficult. Every nominee should take great pride in the positive impact they have made in their communities.
“It’s truly inspiring to see so many dedicated individuals in our district who generously give up their time to help others. Hearing their stories, makes me proud to be part of this community.
“I’d also like to thank the council officers for organising this fantastic event.”
Volunteers in South Norfolk spend countless hours helping others: they raise money for charity, organise events, and manage clubs and community facilities, making South Norfolk a great place to live.
Cllr Blundell added: “Volunteers make a real difference to people’s lives and our environment. They help build stronger, active communities, providing people with a better quality of life. Everyone has the potential to volunteer and everyone has something to offer their community.”
The event was sponsored by Clarion Futures, the charitable foundation of Clarion Housing Group which owns and manages thousands of homes locally.
Yvonne Ogden, Communities Manager at Clarion Futures, said:
“We’re delighted to sponsor these awards which celebrate the best of South Norfolk. Volunteers are crucial to so many organisations working to support local people, and it’s great to see their hard work recognised.”
The Community Award winners are:
Young Achiever Award, Kitty Denny
Town or Parish Councillor of the Year, Cllr Mary Dorrell
Business in the Community Award, Susan Whymark Funeral Services Ltd
Environmental Champion Award, Greening Wymondham
Healthy and Active Award, Sue Gilmour (Hoopstars)
Connecting Communities Award, Wymondham and Attleborough Talking Newspaper
Volunteer of the Year, Diana Grant
Community Organisation of the Year, Harleston Information Plus
Lifetime Achievement Award, Peter Steward
Pride in Place Award, Clear Company CIC
For more information about the awards and all the winners, please visit www.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk/communityawards
