THE PRIDE of Swindon Awards took place yesterday, honouring those who have contributed the most to their communities over the last 12 months.

Town leaders gathered to show their appreciation for those who give their time selflessly to improve the lives of Swindon people.

The event, now in its fifth year, saw more than 35 individuals and charities presented with a Pride of Swindon Certificate.

From those winners, 15 more were then highlighted for special achievement and awarded The Pride of Swindon Badge, as well as two posthumous awards.

“It’s truly humbling to see the amount of people who dedicate their time to making Swindon the place it is,” said outgoing council leader Rod Bluh. “People do so much work that will never be heard about and this is a chance for us to give them some recognition.”

“There are good things and bad things about my job. This is certainly one of the good things and something I’ll definitely miss.”

The Pride of Swindon badge winners ranged from individuals to charities.

Lucy Wright is just 18 and has learning difficulties. But she has not let this stop her and spends much of her time helping other disabled swimmers in Wiltshire.

The volunteers of Swindon Health Walks turn out, every week, to help people who are often living on their own get out of their home and meet new people.

“The most difficult task is selecting who is the best of the best,” said head judge Tony Martin. “Every year it is tough but each time we are so proud of what we hear. Among all the bad news, this is something good and it’s great.”

Among the winners was Martin Parry who was recognised for his work in archiving over 1,500 videos, charting the history of Swindon. He said: “This is really an award for everyone who has helped me over the years.

“It certainly is not just down to me and is a group effort. I’m really appreciative of this award. It’s very nice to be recognised.”

As well as the Pride of Swindon awards those in attendance were also asked to nominate a charity to receive a special Zurich Community Trust Grant Award.

The winning charity was CALM, which supports families who have a child receiving treatment for cancer. They were awarded a cheque for £1000.

 

The Winners

Joanne Long
Lucy Wright
Alan Holmes
Alan Fletcher
Christopher Loveday
Alan Fletcher
Iqubal Kaur
Ronald Brock
Shirley Garman (posthumous)
Martin Parry
Jenni Manners (posthumous)
Jackie Parry
Mark Heasman
Swindon Pregnancy Crisis Centre
Willows
Volunteer Walk Leaders, Swindon