Please find below the winners of the inaugural Cotswold Champions award. It is great to see a Northleach resident amongst the winners and well done to all those who were nominated.
Kind regards,
Cat Crompton, Town Clerk
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Via press release from Cotswold District Council
Public-spirited local residents were honoured at Cotswold District Council’s first ever Cotswold Champions Community Awards ceremony and celebration dinner which took place at the Royal Agricultural University on Friday 9 November.
This date was chosen specifically to coincide with the ‘We remember 1918’ weekend when the Cotswolds commemorate and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1.
CDC Chairman Cllr Julian Beale, had asked people to nominate residents and teams in the District to be chosen as Cotswold Champions, and many applications from all parts of the District were received across seven categories. Short listed candidates were invited to the 9 November awards ceremony and the following were announced as the winners, each receiving a prize of £1,000 courtesy of the award sponsors:
- Young Volunteer of the Year Award – a young person (18 or under) who gives up time to help others (sponsored by Royal Agricultural University) Chelsey Dyson
- Carer of the Year Award – a person who cares for a relative, friend or neighbour (sponsored by Badham Pharmacy) Bridget Salvage
- Community Team Award – people from a sports club, activity group, health group etc. who give time to assist others (sponsored by St James’s Place Wealth Management) BEAM Gymnastics
- Village Hero Award – a person who goes above and beyond for their village (sponsored by Air Salvage International) Elaine Drayton
- Charity Event Award – a team that organises events to raise funds for charities (sponsored by Aura Care Living) Relay for Life
- Town Champion Award – a person who makes an impact in their neighbourhood (sponsored by Tayler & Fletcher) Jennie Rainsford
- Unsung Hero Award – a person who quietly makes a difference to other people’s lives (sponsored by Ian Carling, Founder of The Barn Theatre) Kate Lee.
Commenting on the inaugural awards Cllr Beale said, “Congratulations to the winners and runners up in each category – and many thanks to everyone who took part in the competition. I would like to thank also the sponsors for their generosity and overall support, the Gloucestershire Rural Community Council for judging, and Council offices for creating a successful event. The number and quality of nominees proves that the Cotswolds breeds champions.”
Professor Joanna Price, Vice-Chancellor of the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) said, “It was an honour for the RAU to host these inspirational awards, celebrating Cotswolds residents who discreetly invest their time and energy in the community. We are very proud to have sponsored the Young Volunteer award which epitomises our belief that young people who give back to society and who put others before themselves are best equipped to become future leaders and good citizens.”