Wokingham Borough Mayor Cllr Caroline Smith has hosted a special thank you event to recognise and praise people who make an outstanding contribution to the local community. Around 100 people from more than 40 local voluntary groups and winners of the Mayor’s Honour Awards were invited to the evening event which took place at The Oakwood Centre in Woodley on March 14.
The event started with a speech from the Mayor thanking the local community for their support over the past year, followed by the presentation of Honour Awards certificates and a speech by Sam Sudlow chairman of Wokingham Foodbank, the Mayor’s charity of the year.
Launched last autumn, the Mayor’s Honour Awards was open to adults, children, young people and community groups who work, live, study or provide services in Wokingham Borough. Nominations were received by the first of each month where the Mayor and Deputy Mayor Cllr Beth Rowland chose and announced the worthy winners at full council meetings.
During the presentation of the certificates, each winning individual was presented with a lapel badge and a certificate, whilst each winning group recipients received a shield and a certificate.
Borough Mayor Cllr Caroline Smith said: “Congratulations to all our winners. I have enjoyed meeting you all and hearing about the impressive work you do in our borough. You are the reason why Wokingham Borough continues to be a great place to live, learn, work and grow. Keep up the fantastic work!”
The young people winners were:
· Dexter Rosier
· Evelyne Rose
The adult winners were:
· Angela King
· Victoria Rowland
· Beverley Kemp
The group winners were:
· The Link Visiting Scheme
· Cianna’s Smile
· Thames Valley Kings
After the presentation of the certificates, there was an opportunity for representatives from the voluntary, community and faith sector to network, renew old acquaintances and meet new ones.
Cllr Smith continued: “I am delighted to host my thank you event of the year to express my sincere gratitude to our local voluntary and community organisations who work tirelessly to help improve the wellbeing of borough residents. It has been a fantastic evening to meet everyone and learn more about the empowering work they do.”