Honours for community heroes (From Gazette & Herald)

Ryedale Rural Community Awards 2012

3:21pm Wednesday 19th September 2012 in News

INSPIRATIONAL community heroes from across Ryedale were celebrated at a packed awards ceremony on Friday evening.

The 2012 Ryedale Rural Community Awards culminated in the event at Cropton Village Hall, when finalists and guests gathered with the award sponsors and judges to find out who had won this year’s titles.

Organised by Ryedale Voluntary Action, Rural Action Yorkshire and the Gazette & Herald, the awards highlight and reward outstanding service to the community.

Sarah Lally Marley, of Ryedale Voluntary Action, said: “The number and range of nominations we received for this year’s award just show how many people in our rural areas are active in making their communities a better place in which to live. All of them would have made worthy winners.

“In so many cases, these volunteers are the backbone of services and facilities in our villages and more far-flung communities and without them, the sense of community would be lost.”

Village Hall of the Year, sponsored by Rural Action Yorkshire
Winner: Wilton Village Hall
Finalists: Terrington Village Hall and Middleton & Aislaby Village Hall.

Receiving the award, Mike Hargreaves, of Wilton Village Hall, said: “The hall and the work we do is not for us – we’re just the wrinklies, but it’s for our children and their children.”

Rural Community Group of the Year, sponsored by Rural Voice
Winner: Hovingham Action Group
Finalists: Ryedale Family History Group, Scarborough & Ryedale Mountain Rescue.

Hovingham Action Group received the award for Rural Community Group of the Year for the second year. The judges felt their continuing introduction of new initiatives, such as exercise classes for older people and their work to help other villages emulate their success, was what set them apart. The award was received on behalf of the committee by Philip Chapman.

Volunteer of the Year, sponsored by the Gazette & Herald
Winner: Angus Alexander, who has volunteered for Ryedale Special Familes for 10 years
Finalists: Hawson Simpson, a stalwart for many years of the Fadmoor and Gillamoor communities, and Mike Sellers, nominated by the Yorkshire Farm Crisis Network for his work over the past 12 years.

Angus Alexander was genuinely astonished to be declared the winner, and said: “I don’t really do anything, but I know this money will help them a lot.”

Sarah Hyde, editor of the Gazette & Herald, who presented the award said: “Angus is a dedicated and popular member of the Special Families team which provides a lifeline to children and young people with special needs, and their parents and carers. His work as a driver enables them to access services and activities which they would otherwise not be able to get to. But he has continually gone over and above what is required of him and is trusted and liked by colleagues and clients alike.”

Rural Youth Community Sports Club, sponsored by McClarrons Insurance
Winner: Heslerton Junior Football Club
Finalists: Brooklyn Junior Sports Club, Thornton Dale Playing Fields.

Receiving the award, Ali Horton said: “We heard about the ‘wrinklies’ earlier, well those ‘wrinklies’ have inspired our generation to get involved and work hard, and hopefully what we are doing will inspire our youngsters to carry it on.

“Everyone here tonight is a credit, all the volunteers and workers.”

Rural Community Project, sponsored by HPE Print
Winner: Wass Arts Project, a weekend art and nature workshop
Finalists: High Hutton Telephone Kiosk, the Temple Moore Trail.

Rural Community Project, sponsored by HPE Print and presented by Amy Thomas of the LEADER project, was won by Wass Arts Project for the way it brought all ages of the community together in a fun and focused way, as well as bringing a famed collection of butterflies and moths back to where it was created from its current home at the Yorkshire Museum in York.

Rural Community Project for Older People, sponsored by Ryedale District Council
Winner: Ryedale Carers Support
Finalists: Sight Support Ryedale, Ryedale Older People’s Forum.

Claire Hall, of Ryedale Carers Support, received the award from Clare Slater of sponsor Ryedale District Council and she said: “I work for Ryedale Carers Support, but the heroes are all the volunteers who provide the support which is what it is all about.”

A SPECIAL award, sponsored by an individual donor who wished to remain anonymous, was presented to Mike Sellers of Farm Crisis Network, a finalist in the Volunteer of the Year category.

Mike thanked the judges and said: “What we do is quiet and confidential. We just try to bring a ray of hope to farmers in the darkest chapters of their lives.”

A final presentation was made after a hamper, donated by Beadlam Grange Farm Shop, was raffled. All the finalists’ names were thrown in a hat and the £100 raised by the raffle was then presented to the group pulled out at random: High Hutton Telephone Kiosk, a project to turn the disused phone box into a library and freecycle centre for the village.

 

Martin Bell left, and Phil Chapman, right, of Hovingham Action Group, receive the Rural Voice award for Rural Community Group of the Year from Sarah Robinson.

Tina Chamberlain, Regional Manager of Rural Action Yorkshire, gives the award for Village Hall of the Year to Wilton Village Hall chairman, John Dunning, and secretary, Mike Hargreaves, left

• If you are inspired to enter next year’s awards, watch this space – we will be bringing details of how to enter and get involved during the coming weeks.