The Warwickshire and Solihull Community and Voluntary Action (CAVA) held its volunteer awards celebration on October 3 to recognise the contributions made by both individual and group volunteers in the Warwick and Stratford districts.
And among the winners were a number of familiar names across our towns - Leamington's Simon Storey, of The Bicycle Bus; Anthony Britton who set up The Pam Britton Trust for Dementia; Alec Roberts from Foundry Wood; Richard Gillard of the Friends of Abbey Fields. Among the winning groups were the Leamington parkrun, Prince's Trust Team Leamington Spa Warwickshire College Group; Welcome Here Leamington and Warwick; Entrust Care Partnership.
The event was held in the Old Shire Hall Ballroom at Warwickshire County Council in Warwick and sponsored by Warwickshire County Council, Warwick District Council Silvertime Legal Services Ltd, Associated Telecom, LinkIT Advanced Solutions, Mid-Counties Cooperative, Sharp and WCAVA.
The categories and commended were as follows:
5. Trustee/Committee Member Award (individual), sponsored by Sharp
The individual nominees for this category were Pauline Hayward, Peter Rand MBE and Richard Gillard. The winner for this category was Richard Gillard, Friends of Abbey Fields. Pictured: Chris Freeman CAVA on behalf of Richard Gillard, Friends of Abbey Fields, with Mitchel Costello (Sharp). Photo: Owen Jones
6. Health and Wellbeing Award (group), sponsored by LinkIT Advanced Solutions
The nominees for group for the health and wellbeing category were Barbara O’Rourke Arts Foundation, New Hope Counselling and South Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind Green Minds Volunteers. The winners were the South Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind Green Minds Volunteers and highly commended were New Hope Counselling. Pictured are South Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind Green Minds volunteers with Karl Rotherham (LinkIT Advanced Solutions) Photo: Owen Jones
7. Environmental/Animal Care award, presented by Amanda Wilson Patterson from Warwickshire County Council
The winner of the individual award was Alec Roberts, Foundry Wood. Pictured is Alec Roberts with Amanda Wilson Patterson (WCC). Photo: Owen Jones
8. Inspirational Young Person (Group), sponsored by MidCounties Cooperative
The nominees for Inspirational Young Person (Group) category were the Princes Trust Team Leamington Spa Warwickshire College Group and the Warwickshire Hawks under 11 coaches. The winner was the Prince's Trust Team Leamington Spa Warwickshire College Group. Pictured are Prince's Trust Team Leamington Spa Warwickshire College Group with Sophie Adams-Hyatt (MidCounties Cooperative). Photo: Owen Jones