Awards are welcome reminder that we can all make a difference

I BECAME Member of Parliament for our area back in December 2019, and only four short months later we were in lockdown.

In February this year, Russia invaded Ukraine, which – coupled with the economic effects of Covid restrictions – has negatively impacted the cost of living. But there are things to be positive about…

Through such tough times there has been one group of people whose dedication has never wavered but often goes unnoticed: and they are the wonderful volunteers in our community who selflessly give their time to help and care for others.

As your MP I am always hearing about individuals and groups who spend their time in service to others and am often privileged to even receive invites to local fund-raising efforts. But it occurs to me that not everyone knows about the wonderful people who live among us, so I wanted to share with you the stories of some volunteers who were recently nominated for a Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council Make a Difference award.

Please forgive me as I don’t have the word count to mention everybody.

There were more than 20 individuals and 12 groups nominated for a total of six awards – which shows how generous our community is!

Among the nominees for the ‘creating a sense of community’ award was Jo Haddow, who for the past four years has been supporting homeless and vulnerable families in the area; husband and wife duo Kathy and Ian Smith; and a lady who has an awful illness but still finds a way to support people in need.

Sylvia Ellis and the Sheepy Local History Society, who have been documenting local history since 2008, were recognised for their contributions to heritage, culture and tourism. Ms Ellis has been involved with the Concordia Theatre since 1960 and was in the very first production of The Sound of Music 50 years ago!

Also up for awards were young volunteers, two of whom are only eight years old and raised more than £1,000 after a bake sale for Ukraine escalated into a raffle!

Also nominated were Ulfa, who has been volunteering since she was 13 years old, and Patrick, who regularly assists the borough council at events.

Hinckley

Foodbank,

Feed the

Hungry, Time Out for Carers and Sandra Jones were nominated in the ‘keeping people safe and well’ category for work that has been particularly important throughout Covid and recent increases in the cost of living.

Those nominated, and the many others who go out of their way to help others, represent the very best of our community, and one that I am extremely proud to represent.

I often find it useful – particularly when world events seem so out of our control – to think of what we can do as individuals to make the world a little better.

These awards serve as a poignant reminder that we can all make a difference.