South Kesteven’s community champions have been celebrated at a ceremony to recognise the people and organisations who have gone above and beyond to help others and make a real difference.
The SK Community Awards 2022, organised by South Kesteven District Council, helped shine a light on to their communities.
Finalists and their guests gathered at a presentation event at Grantham’s Guildhall Arts Centre to find out who had been nominated across seven separate categories, including the Green Award for schoolchildren, sponsored by Upp Broadband.
Winners included animal lovers who have raised more than £17,000 for charity, a youngster who played a vital role in saving a road crash victim’s life, the founder of a community support network – and a friendly neighbour who people simply can’t do without.
Also recognised were a team of carbon ambassadors from a local primary school, a tireless British Legion stalwart and a schoolboy helping boost the self-esteem of others.
A spokesperson for SKDC said: “Once again we were bowled over by the sheer variety among the dozens of worthy nominations and it was hard work whittling the numbers down to find finalists in each category, let alone our winners.
“It goes without saying that all of the individuals and groups are champions every day for what they have achieved and continue to do to support their communities across the whole of the District.
“Thanks must go to everyone who helps make a difference – and to those who took the time to nominate the people important to their lives.”
The winners are
School Green Award:
Deeping St James Community Primary School boosted awareness of key environmental issues including reducing litter, cutting electricity use and increasing recycling.
Greenfields Academy in Grantham was also runner-up in the School Green award, recognising pupils’ work to establish a sensory garden project, as part of their ‘Land Based Studies (LBS)’ course. LBS provides pupils with a qualification as a stepping-stone to study horticulture at college, all contributing towards improving wellbeing and helping children with learning difficulties fulfil non-academic tasks.
Business and the Community Award:
Dog walker and pet sitter Laura Edwards’ Happy Tails Pet Service business in Market Deeping for fund-raising and readiness to help in a crisis
Good Neighbour:
Grantham’s Gary Gooch, hailed as “the most helpful neighbour I have ever had”
Willingness to help others made Grantham man Gary Gooch the winner of the Good Neighbour Award, and he was described as “the most helpful neighbour I have ever had” in the nomination.
Without his neighbourliness, those he helps would simply “be lost”, the nomination read. Gary voluntarily mows lawns all year round for several people near his Cressbrook Road home. Despite working every day, he still finds time to help with odd bits to help.
Gary Gooch said: “We moved into a new build area about six years ago, such a lovely area with small gardens and younger people moving in with no garden equipment. I just thought ‘it’s there so let’s get it used’. It’s something I enjoy doing and it’s great to be able to help the neighbours.”
Grantham registered licenced waste carrier Andrew Harrison was a Good Neighbour award runner-up, helping families in need by providing vital furnishings for their homes through the BHive community hub and donating money to local charities.
Health and Wellbeing Award:
Susan Swinburn, the driving force behind Grantham BHive Community.
Susan’s role as the driving force behind Grantham’s BHive Community for Grantham and the surrounding area has won her the SK Community Health and Wellbeing award.
Susan was also instrumental in setting up Place2be under the BHive umbrella, offering men’s mental health and wellbeing support two evenings a week with the opportunity to engage with a range of community projects from gardening to repairing bikes.
The group illustrated its value by preventing several male suicides in its first weeks. There are now also groups for women, dementia sufferers, the visually impaired and blind and those who want to knit and natter.
She said: “What an honour to be nominated for this prestigious award. It’s not something that I ever thought about winning. We just do what we do here at the BHive Community because we know that we can help people. We give them knowledge, skills and encouragement to lead independent lives and flourish. That’s incredibly rewarding.”
Community Cancer Support network founder Julie Harrod was a runner up in recognition of the Grantham Chemosabes Facebook group she created to give practical help, advice and support to any cancer patient after undergoing intensive cancer surgery, all in a voluntary capacity, in addition to her full-time work. Chemosabes now has members joining from further afield.
Friends of Sandon and Ambergate fund-raiser Katie Bennington was applauded for her extraordinary achievements in helping to regularly raise £10,000 per year to help the physical health and mental wellbeing of the schoolchildren and their adult carers, parents, relatives and friends. Katie often works at weekends helping staff and parents, all the time caring for her 13-year-old son who has severe autism and learning difficulties.
Inspirational Young Person:
Ben Pennycook, for establishing a lunchtime Build Your Confidence club for Bourne Grammar School
His Build Your Confidence’ club has earned him SKDC’s Inspirational Young Person award.
Lifetime Community Champion:
Grace Knightall, for 30-plus years as district organiser for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
Forty years as district organiser for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal won Grace Knightall SKDC’s Lifetime Community Champion Award.
Grace, described in her nomination as ‘forceful, determined and resolute’, has supported the Legion for 50 years and her poppy fund-raising regularly topped £40,000 a year until Covid restricted activities.
Her Legion poppy role involves ordering from the Poppy Factory, distribution to stalls, shops, schools, pubs, organising poppy sellers and money collecting and banking money after November’s Remembrance Week.
Grace, who lives at Branston, has been a regular manning the Royal British Legion stall at countless fund-raising festival, fetes or function to help service personnel, veterans and dependants, with husband John at her side from the very beginning.
“This award is a great honour and privilege and I thank everyone who has ever bought a poppy,” said Grace, whose Army grandfather was killed in WW2. “I sold my first poppy when I was 16 and have been fund-raising for the Legion ever since. Funds raised through the Poppy Appeal really make a difference to the thousands of ex-military needing support.”
Janet Peto’s 40 years of dedication to help hedgehogs through her Foston-based Hedgehog Welfare charity earned her a finalist slot in the council’s Lifetime Community Champion award. Her dual nominations particularly recognised her work during this summer’s record-breaking weather helping people finding baby hedgehogs and needing advice and sometimes intensive care for them from her team of volunteers. On one day she received more than 40 phone calls from concerned hedgehog lovers.
Neil Smith Beyond the Call of Duty Award: Bourne
Army Cadet William Craft, who acted quickly to save a life in a serious road accident
William, a 17-year-old cadet Staff Sergeant with the Bourne Army cadet detachment, encountered a serious road accident on the A15 at Baston involving a motorcyclist. The man had been thrown from his bike, which had caught fire, and he was unconscious and not breathing.
William immediately administered first aid, having been on a senior cadet first aid training course the weekend before. He got the motorcyclist breathing again and conducted primary and secondary surveys until emergency services arrived. The injured man was taken to Peterborough City Hospital and placed in a medically induced coma whilst doctors treated his extensive injuries.
He subsequently made a full recovery and is back on the road on his motorcycle.
Elected members, a previous winner and an award sponsor decided which nominations should go forward to the presentation event.
Mary Freeland, Campaign Manager at Upp Broadband, took part in the judging for the School Green Project category in which they are providing a £500 first prize to the winner.
For the Neil Smith Beyond the Call of Duty award, Neil’s widow Candice and son Tommy helped decide the shortlist for an award that carries the former SKDC employee’s name in recognition of how he saved infant Tommy’s life using CPR.
Award winners took home engraved crystal trophies and runners-up were presented with congratulatory certificates.
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