TOWN COUNCIL HONOURS NEWBURY’S LOCAL HEROES
The Annual Newbury Town Civic Awards presentation took place on Wednesday 13th March 2024. They included the Newbury Town Civic Award, the Newbury Town Young Person’s Civic Award, the Newbury Town Business Civic Award, the Newbury Town Environmental Contribution Award, and new for 2024, the Newbury Town Local Community Group Civic Award.
The awards recognise the Town’s unsung heroes who go above and beyond to help make an exceptional contribution to the Newbury community on a voluntary basis.
Due to an overwhelming number of nominations, the Presentation Ceremony had to be moved from its usual location of the Town Hall to St Nicolas Church Hall to accommodate the large number of attendees.
The Mayor of Newbury said, “We received a record number of nominations for this year’s awards. All nominees showed dedication and commitment to their causes, and the variety of nominations show what a wonderful town we live in where people are willing to give their time and energy helping the community”.
The Winner of the Newbury Town Civic Award 2024 was June Milsom.
June is fast approaching her 90th birthday and has given more than 50 years’ service to supporting the local Guiding and Scouting community in Newbury as their Badge Secretary and Uniform Shop Organiser. June began running the uniform shop from her home in her front room and adapted her service to keep up to date with current buying trends; these include online orders, emails and online banking and offering a click and collect service.
‘Mrs Milsom’s uniform shop’ is not a small undertaking, with an operation that would rival many local shops. With all monies going back into local Guiding and Scouting, June makes no personal financial gain, and is a true civic minded person and role model to girls and boys across the district.
June was unable to attend the awards evening but was represented by her daughter Julia and Guiding Leader Jackie who accepted the award on her behalf. The Mayor is looking forward to meeting June soon.
The winner of the Newbury Town Young Person’s Civic Award was Daniel Udry.
17-year-old Daniel is a Year 12 student at Trinity School, he is a sports leader and every week he supports the Newbury District Schools Football Association running the indoor 5-a-side tournaments held at the school every Wednesday after school. Daniel organises the events from start to finish; setting up the sports hall, welcoming pupils and teachers, referees all the matches and also organises the finals and medal ceremonies. Without Daniel, these tournaments would struggle to run, and he is a commendable role model for the young primary sports men and women in Newbury.
The new award, Newbury Town Local Community Group Civic Award, was presented to Community United West Berkshire.
They were recognised for their presence and great work towards minority rights and integration in West Berkshire. They have been able to bridge the gap between the ethnically diverse community and local services making them accessible for those who needed to understand what they can offer and how they can benefit. This includes government and council services as well as NHS services and signposting to community support. They also offer community events in which most minority communities take part to help local people integrate.
The winner of the Newbury Town Business Civic Award was The Ugly Duckling.
The pottery painting house were highlighted for being outstanding ambassadors for supporting inclusivity in Newbury. They offer special sessions for those with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities, Read & Paint sessions, homeschooling sessions and encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to be creative and promote socialisation amongst peers. They also do lots of charitable fundraising for local causes and work with other local businesses to do this, encouraging people to visit their local high street for a good cause.
The winner of the Newbury Town Environmental Contribution Award was ARK Action for the River Kennet.
ARK’s Love The Lambourn project was highlighted for improving habitat diversity in the stretch of the River Lambourn that flows through Clay Hill Ward in Newbury. ARK led community river day tasks which offer the community the opportunity to get hands-on learning new skills in river conservation. ARK also run an educational outreach called River School where they worked with over 2,000 children last year to learn about the river that flows through their town, and the conservation projects which help maintain the Lambourn.
All nominees were invited to the Presentation Ceremony where they were each recognised and given a certificate for their achievements. The winners received a trophy and their name engraved on the Town Hall’s perpetual awards to go on display. The winners have also been invited to the Town Hall for a private reception with the Mayor and the judging panel.
Mayor of Newbury, Councillor Nigel Foot congratulated all of the nominees for their outstanding achievements.
Contact:
Elisa Mullen, Civic Manager mayor@newbury.gov.uk 07538 334106
