Awards given for community efforts going the extra mile

NDIVIDUALS, organisations and businesses have been recognised for the great work they do at Trent & Dove’s 18th annual Impact on the Community Awards.

Held last Thursday at the Pirelli Stadium in Burton, the awards shine a spotlight on projects which are “Transforming Homes, Lives and Communities” across East Staffordshire, South Derbyshire and North West Leicestershire.

Chief executive of Trent & Dove, Ursula Bennion, said: “It was a fantastic evening, and we were honoured to hear hugely compelling and inspirational stories of people, organisations and local businesses who are doing wonderful things in our area.”

The celebrity host for the evening was actor, comedian and impressionist Jon Culshaw.

There were nine awards in total including a lifetime achievement award for long-serving Trent & Dove volunteer Maureen Smithard.

Overall impact on the community individual was won by John Anderson, founder of local homeless charity Burton HOPE and who is also a parish councillor and Angling Trust Voluntary Bailiff.

Overall impact on the community organisation was won by McDonald’s, Branston, where staff dedicate themselves to projects such as collecting litter and clearing weeds.

One award winner, Sheila Meacham, from The Young Ones, collected the award for Impact on young people, individual or organisation. She said: “We are very honoured. We are a very small group of a similar age who just want the children to have a happy life.”

This group provides celebration and emergency gift boxes for local underprivileged children, individually designed according to age, gender and any specific requirements.

Community project was won by Burton Soup Kitchen, which helps locals struggling to feed themselves.