Citizen of the Year 2013

This is particularly true of rural areas where families cannot pay for transport to local towns where they can ask for food.

The situation would be far worse but for hundreds of volunteers, who give up their free time to help those people in need.

Ros Grant, project manager of the Fosse Food Bank, said: “Contrary to popular belief our clients are not scroungers, and have done everything possible to get out of their situation.

“South Warwickshire would fall to pieces without local volunteers and the tremendous amount of good work they do in the local community. We rely on volunteers: to keep families fed and the operation running smoothly. Our biggest need is for food, volunteers and then money to fund the operation.

“By getting involved with food banks, everybody has the opportunity to help each other. Just two or three hours a week will make a difference: that way a family will get enough food for three days.”

A new distribution centre was opened last Friday in Wellesbourne by the Fosse Food Bank, which helps the needy in an area which includes all the villages around Banbury, Stratford, Leamington and Kenilworth.

Last year more than 100,000 more people were given emergency food than forecast, showing how the problem of Britain’s hungry is growing, says the Trussell Trust, umbrella organisation overseeing 361 food banks. The Brakes Trust, the independent supporters organisation for Leamington FC, understands only too well, that many other volunteers in the area give up their free time to work for local charities providing hot meals, clothing, accommodation and care for the old and sick; not forgetting for a moment those youngsters who look after sick or disabled parents, or siblings as full time carers.

Today sees the start of the campaign to find the Citizen of the Year and Young Citizen of The Year which publicly recognises individuals most deserving of the awards. Now in its third year, the event is run and managed by The Brakes Trust in conjunction with the Leamington Courier.

Nominations of no more than 150 words listing the outstanding qualities of the individual must be marked “Coty” including the name, address, ‘phone number of the sponsor and sent to [email protected] or hand delivered to Courier offices at 32, Hamilton Terrace, Leamington Spa CV32 4LY no later than Monday, September 2. Any young citizen must be no older than 16 on the closing date.

Chris Lillington says his newspapers - the Leamington Courier, Warwick Courier, and Kenilworth Weekly News - support the Citizen of the Year concept because so many of the unsung and unrecognized volunteers are the very people that keep the community functioning in times of austerity. “It is our way of saying thank you to them all”, he added.

There were over 20 nominations last year and the quality was so high that the judges’ panel encourages readers to nominate the same individuals again. “Several would have been worthy winners of the title,” says Adrian Barton, chairman of the Brakes Trust.

Mr. Barton said his Board had chosen to support the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance as its charity this year. The Gala Award ceremony will be held at a new venue Guy Nelson Hall, Warwick School, Warwick on Sunday 
September 29.