Thrilled, delighted and flattered.
Just some of the emotions from the winners of this year’s annual St Edmund’s Day Awards.
Former East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star photographer Andy Abbott won the Citizen of the Year Award with teenager Chloe Hunter picking up the Young Citizen of the Year accolade.
The winners and the nominees gathered at the Bury St Edmunds Town Council offices, on Angel Hill, on Monday, for the presentation event hosted by council chairman Andrew Speed.
Ten people were nominated for the main award including Christina Birt, who co-ordinates the local Open Britain group and for organising two Great Get Together events in Albert Crescent; Elaine Channon, Gatehouse Dementia Hub facilitator; Margaret Charlesworth, who is a volunteer in the cathedral shop, involved with the German twin town of Kevelaer, Friends of Moyse’s Hall Museum and the Magna Carta Trust; Pat Church, who has been involved with the Abbeygate Cinema for the past 52 years; Vivien Gainsborough Foot, for leading the Churchgate Area Association; Stephen Moody, for his voluntary work in the town including the town guides, the Bury Society, the TiC, charity Christmas shop, Bury in Bloom and the Theatre Royal; Libby Ranzetta and Samantha Reid, two of the driving forces being the Bury St Edmunds Rickshaw; and Doreen Whomes, for her work with children for the past 30 years.
Chloe was shortlisted along with members of the Jetts Netball Club.
Andy, who is chairman of the trustees of the Southgate Community Centre and vice chairman of the governors at Hardwick Primary School has been instrumental in improving the facilites at the centre and working tirelessly with the school.
He said: “I am very flattered and very, very pleased to have the honour of being Citizen of the Year. I am hugely proud of the work that I do with the school and my philosophy is if I see something that needs doing I will do it.”
He also supports St Nicholas Hospice and the My WiSH Charity, which supports the West Suffolk hospital, and added: “I have to thank the town council for all their help and support and I am so grateful to them and all the people around me who support me and everything I do is for the benefit of the community.”
Meanwhile, 16-year-old Chloe, who was nominated for the care for her family, teaching chemistry to pupils at Beyton School, where she is a sixth former, being a youth church leader and volunteering at a local care home, said: “It’s great to get the award and it feels like someone has finally recognised what I do.
“I am continually told to take a break as I’m up at 5.30am every morning as I have my younger brother Jonathan who is 13 to look after as he has spastic cerebral palsy which effects his right side. I am like the second mum of the house.”
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