The winners of Community Action Suffolk’s 2016 Awards were presented with their trophies at an inspiring evening held at the Museum of East Anglian Life last night (18 October 2016).
The evening recognised the volunteers, communities and young people making an impact on the lives of people in Suffolk. With a record number of nearly 100 nominations, the judges on the panel faced the most difficult decision process to date. Award winners are young and old, from all corners of Suffolk, proving that anyone can get involved with supporting their local community.
Freckenham Village Hall, won the Village Hall and Community Building award (sponsored by Business Services at CAS Ltd.) and said:
“Thank you for a fabulous evening, it is so lovely to be recognised for the hard work and occasional sleepless nights! Freckenham Village Hall will be 20 years old next year and we have come a long way from just having a Mother & Toddler group or a Community Council doing the occasional bingo session, lunch or outing to the seaside!”
The winner of the Most Inspiring Volunteer story is Judith Gunion from Ipswich. Judith has helped to inspire many within Suffolk, through sharing her own stories and words of wisdom. Judith often encourages others to get involved and certainly practices what she preaches. Alongside helping at multiple events within the UK, Judith’s volunteering journey since being a London 2012 Games Maker has seen her travel to places such as Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain and most recently the Olympic Games in Rio. Her roles are always varied, helping in roles such as medical (First Responder in London 2012), Press, Media and Communications. Her achievements are all the more remarkable given that many of these trips are self-funded. Judith said:
“I can’t believe I’m stood here inspiring others, when only four years ago I was just one of 270,000 people who applied to be a London 2012 Gamesmaker. Volunteering is a fantastic way of learning that you can push your boundaries. You will learn from it, grow from it and in time you will pass on those skills to others. So take the first step. Start small and then let the world be your oyster”.
The full list of winners can be found on the Community Action Suffolk website www.communityactionsuffolk.org.uk/awards
Photos of the evening can be found on CAS’s Facebook page.