Volunteers and community groups celebrated at first Harborough District Community Awards
Published Friday 6 December 2024People from across the Harborough district have been recognised for their important contributions to their communities at a special awards ceremony.
Winners and runners up in the Harborough District Community Awards were presented with their certificates and cash prizes at an event on 5 December 2024 in the Octagonal Hall at Welland Park Academy, Market Harborough.
In October people were invited to nominate individuals and groups who they felt make a valuable contribution to their local community in the district for an award.
Nominees were judged by a small panel consisting of officers from the council and Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL).
Winners and runners up were as follows:
Voluntary and Community Group of the Year
Winner: Broughton Astley Volunteer Group
Runner up: The Well, Kibworth
Young Person of the Year (11-18)
Winner: Natasha Callis
Runner up: Phoebe Tomes
Volunteer of the Year (19-59)
Winner: Jemma Redden
Runner up: Harry Fordham
Volunteer of the Year (60+)
Winner: Edith Townsend
Runner up: Mick Draper
Special Recognition of the Year
Winner: Roger Brown
Joint runners up: Dot Tribe and Anthony Osborn
Cllr Knowles, Leader of Harborough District Council, said: “We have so many fantastic volunteers and community groups in our district and they all make a significant difference to the lives of individuals or the wider community. It has been fantastic to be able to celebrate and recognise just some of these amazing people at the awards ceremony tonight.”
The awards event also incorporated a presentation of the Citizenship Cup by John Tillotson, Chair of Harborough Civic Society to Martin Johnson CBE, retired international rugby union player. Martin spent his entire professional club career at Leicester Tigers and was England’s only Rugby World Cup-winning captain and twice leader of the British & Irish Lions.
The Citizenship Cup was donated anonymously to the council in 1955 on the Diamond Jubilee of the Market Harborough Urban District Council. It is awarded from time to time to individuals or organised groups of individuals in recognition of outstanding achievement enhancing the reputation of or reflecting credit on Market Harborough, and for distinguished service rendered in the interests of the town.
Martin Johnson CBE said: “It was fantastic to spend an evening with so many great local volunteers and very special to be presented with the Harborough Citzenship Cup at the school where I first learnt to play rugby."
The council has plans to run the Harborough District Community Awards again in 2025.
Winners and runners up are pictured with: Martin Johnson CBE, Deputy Lieutenant of Leicestershire Richard Everard OBE, Cllr Phil Knowles Leader of Harborough District Council, Cllr Jim Knight Cabinet Lead for Wellbeing, Cllr Anderson Young Person’s Champion, Cllr Peter Elliott Chairman of Harborough District Council, John Tillotson Chair of Harborough Civic Society, Caroline Mortiboys Hon. Secretary of Harborough Civic Society, John Richardson Chief Executive of Harborough District Council
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