THEY ARE six of the best, and they have been rewarded for their efforts.
Last week, Wokingham Town Council held its annual civic awards, with the ceremony held in person for the first time since the pandemic.
Each year, it seeks to recoginise residents who have gone above and beyond to make the town a better place. This could be through exceptional service, adding to the cultural life, or helping make it more environmentally friendly.
This year, there were six winners. They received their awards from the deputy town mayor, Cllr Maria Gee, at a ceremony held in the town hall on Tuesday, March 29.
Cllr David Lee, who chairs the civic committee, was thrilled with the occasion.
“I am constantly amazed at the voluntary contributions made by so many unsung heroes each year,” he said. “Usually, these people quietly carry on these good works in an unassuming way without seeking recognition or reward and bring untold happiness and relief to many of our residents.
“Whether help is given through putting food on the table, bringing families together, putting on events for the community to enjoy or offering a helping hand to those who need it, we salute you,
“We have so many dedicated and selfless people working for the benefit of our community on a day-to-day basis, and it is a great honour to recognise them each year through the Civic Awards ceremony.
“Volunteering is a great thing to do and brings more rewards than money can achieve.”
And Cllr Gee was delighted to be presenting the awards, saying the ceremony was one of the highlights of the municipal year.
“It is when we recognise great people for doing great things for the greater good of our community,” she said.
“It is our chance to say thank you to those who have been recognised for going above and beyond in their charitable activities.”
This year’s winners
Alan Rouse
Nominated by Andy Goffin and Lyn Baily for all his contribution to Wokingham Lions, Wokingham Foodbank, Wokingham Fireworks, Wokingham May Fayre and Wokingham Citizens Advice.
Alan has been involved in many charities within Wokingham over the last 20 years and is always delighted to see charities work together for a common cause. Alan is described as very tenacious, going above and beyond to help others.
The quote ‘Whenever Wokingham needs volunteers, you will probably find Alan involved’ describes his dedication.
Alan has trained as a volunteer with Citizens Advice, spending many hours each week helping those who have great need in a variety of ways. You’ll also find him ferrying residents around to events they will enjoy, collecting products for the foodbank from local supermarkets, helping at events and parties for those less fortunate working hard on all the events that the town enjoys such as the Winter Carnival, the May Fayre and the Christmas Living Advent calendar.
Claire Revie
Nominated by Louise Jedras and Louise Buckingham as founder of SHARE Wokingham and her continuing driving force behind this wonderful community initiative.
Having set up SHARE during the dark days of the pandemic, Claire and a group of volunteers supported local families in need with food and supplies to get them through each week.
Claire is always cheerful, positive, and incredibly resourceful. She has a never-ending supply of energy and an amazing can-do attitude which has taken SHARE from strength to strength. Claire also coordinates and works with other local charities and community groups to ensure that no family in need goes without.
Not only does Claire’s work help families in need but also benefits the environment as her team collects and distributes food from supermarkets, local shops and traders that would otherwise be wasted.
Gerald de la Pascua
Nominated by Claire Revie and Vickie Robinson for his volunteering work at SHARE Wokingham and his support with the Syrian Vulnerable Person Refugee Resettlement group
Gerald has volunteered with SHARE Wokingham from day one. He has been integral in the set-up and success of the project. He is very resourceful and goes above and beyond to help those in need, whether it’s food, white goods, or an issue they are struggling with.
If there is surplus food at the end of each day, Gerald takes it around to people’s houses (often in a wheelbarrow) to ensure nothing gets wasted.
Gerald is also a dedicated volunteer at the Syrian Resettlement Scheme.
Gerald puts in time, love, hard graft, and anything else that is needed, from painting houses, sourcing needed items, arranging furniture, delivering food and making sure they are as happy and can integrate into the community.
This quote says so much: ‘There is no finer example of an upstanding, caring, considerate and gracious citizen than Gerald. He is incredibly humble and never takes any credit for what he does.’
James Baston
Nominated by Kate Taylor and Lynne Simmonds for his contribution to Adopt-a-street and litter picks and his work with New Family Social and the Berkshire Adoption Panel.
James is a natural leader. He uses his spare time to volunteer and help in as many ways as he can. Kate said, ‘People like James often remain “unsung heroes”, but he deserves recognition for the good he does. I also think it would inspire his son, Sebastian, to see greatness and kindness being rewarded.’
James has a heart of gold and has never been afraid to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty when it comes to helping people or his community. He has even tandem jumped out of a plane to raise money for charity.
James has a great sense of humour and people find him approachable to talk to or ask for advice or help.
Jean Taylor
Nominated by Nikk Brown and Thomas Ormsby for all the valuable time she spends volunteering for Rose Buddies (a support service for Wokingham residents with learning disabilities) to help others.
Jean leads the active cycling and walking sessions at Rose Buddies, giving participants confidence to go out and explore new areas together.
Jean radiates kindness and is always listening to and supporting others to express themselves and achieve their goals. She is a valued friend and confidant who can make people smile and feel happy. A skill much needed and appreciated by all who know her.
Jean also helps out at cooking sessions, parties, trips out and a lunch club at The Cornerstone too.
Siobhan Sanctuary
Nominated by Roy Fewster and Captain Jan Howlin for all her contribution to the Wokingham Pre School Alliance learning, Citizens Advice, Salvation Army and Employment Plus.
Siobhan has compassion, drive, and a huge amount of empathy. She has unending patience with service users who have a vast range of needs from addictions to mental health issues. Siobhan shows love in action with her knowledge and ability to communicate with people from all walks of life.
Siobhan currently supports 30 plus service users with tenancy support, benefit help, all form filling needs and help to access medical and all health services. Siobhan is passionate in her efforts to alleviate poverty and will strive to give everyone she works with hope and a future. Siobhan has also helped set up Employment Plus and has produced the Homeless Pocket Guide, a source of information regarding food and shelter, advice and support for housing and addiction problems.
This guide is used informally by other outlets such as the Police.
‘It is all too easy to categorise such people and ignore their stories and needs – Siobhan has dedicated time to trying to understand and provide a way forward in life for them.’
