The Kingston Council has honored exceptional people for giving up their time to support others in their communities.
The Mayor recognized sixteen awardees praising them for their outstanding work and achievement at a public ceremony at Guildhall.
Councillor Margaret Thompson, the Mayor of Kingston, said ” It was an honor to present these awards that give recognition to these well-deserving community-minded people. We owe a great deal of gratitude to them.”
The recipients of the Mayor’s Community Awards 2020 are the following:
Bobby Child
For more than 25 years, Bobby has been a well-appreciated and dedicated man of the Kingston Inner Wheel Club. She has participated and coordinated events as an honorary life member of the Kingston Rotary Club since 2010. Indeed, a true champion of the community who deserves recognition for her committed and persistent charitable work in helping the community.
Bozena Miller
Bozena or “Bo” is not only popular in their neighborhood, but also for the frequent commuters in the morning using the Norbiton station. She co-founded and operated the first Kingston computer shop in the ’80s and managed a nursery in the ’90s. Bo can be seen each weekday morning on Gloucester Road gathering litter along the streets surrounding her house.
David McLean
For almost five years, Dave volunteered in the New Malden Staywell’s Raleigh Day Center. Raleigh gives people over 60 years a warm and friendly social atmosphere. In addition to offering computer classes, Dave performs a range of tasks from welcoming people to the centre, holding fun group sessions and one-on-one support.
Eric Banks
Eric, a long-term resident, was Scout Leader for young adults, attended more than 700 section meetings and coordinated over 50 camps. He helps organize school sessions for children and their parents and overseas camps in Switzerland too. Eric is recognized for his imaginative and detailed games, interesting stories and other friendly competitions, but he is most notable because he instills a sense of empowerment in young men and women.
Helen Tysoe Greening
For the past 18 years, Helen has been residing in Gibson Close Chessington. The houses were originally constructed in the 1960s for RAF personnel and then demolished, leaving a wild green space. Helen was fascinated by the park’s history and formed a solid dog-walking community that was encouraged to form the Friends of the RAF Park. The group’s goal is to incorporate culture, wildlife, heritage, and country-based cultural revitalisation into the green area with the Kingston RAF Cadets.
Jackie White and Jeff Turner
Jackie is the Chairwoman and Jeff is the Vice Chairman of the organization Moving on Together (MOT), a network of dedicated volunteers involved with alcohol and drug rehabilitation. The team offers a great support group for people who attend the drug and alcohol rehab through Kingston Wellbeing Service. Jackie and Jeff’s service with the MOT plays an important role in helping people get back to normal, which in turn has a beneficial impact on the wider population.
Janine Martin
It all started with basic packet recycling until Janine was able to set up a much bigger Sunray Recycle. Janine developed several community recycling points across and now further away from Sunray Estate in the last year. Janine has introduced the idea of creating plastic-packaged eco-bricks for recycling.
Lewis Sheead
Lewis watches after his father and has engaged in several events with youth carers over the years. He also joins our support group Young Adult Carers, which meets regularly in Kingston. The other year, Lewis assisted 15 young carers on a residential trip through his skills in first aid preventing minor injuries.
Mary Parmar
Mary is focused on helping and supporting her community, particularly those in need, and is an active source of assistance and encouragement on the Alpha Estate Surbiton. She promotes interaction between people and the importance of the community. Mary also helps organize the Christmas party and excursions in Alpha Estate where 25 children and families can enjoy themselves.
Nathan Campanale
A 17-year-old Richard Challoner school student, Nathan, was lauded by a person after he rescued her as she was assaulted randomly by a stranger. Nathan guaranteed that she was all right, taking charge of her 3-year-old son at the time. He waited with them until both the police and the husband of the woman arrived. The lady said, “I hope that my son can grow to be half as amazing as him.” He’s a great guy.
Nicola Woodmore-Garner
Nicola organised the #2minutelitterpick within Hook almost 18 months earlier after being overwhelmed by the amount of litter in the area and realized that the local community should work together to care for their area. On the first day, she encouraged about 20 residents and now every month she and her family have new and returning members.
Rita Ferro
Rita has been living locally for many years and was introduced to the Kingston Carers Network when she took care of her husband many years ago. She stayed with the group as a volunteer after her husband’s death. Rita contributes to the well-being of many carers especially the young carers, new in the field. Rita is also looking after many neighbors ‘ gardens, so they can appreciate lovely environments. She also ensures that daily food is received to those who are alone or unwell.
Roger Mace
In the last 20 years, Roger has driven family-friendly bike tours following a philosophy of “no-one left behind.” He is extremely detailed in back roads and the quiet ways, and before planning rides, he performs a great deal of research. He urges adults who have not driven much since childhood to join his free social rides. He also directs the family feeder rides to the yearly Freecycle London, which will take place on quiet roads from Kingston’s Ancient Market to the Buckingham Palace alongside over one hundred families of cyclists.
Sarah Karis Clay
Sarah’s love for music has inspired other people in her life, overcoming a life-threatening illness and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She wants to help others with her musical skills. So Sarah continued reaching out with the other choir groups and shortly afterward, the Sisterhood and Streetwise choirs were created to help vulnerable people.
Tracy Hall
Tracy has been one of the most loyal of its volunteers since the launch of the Oxygen charity shop in New Malden and has contributed in a valuable way to the shop’s life together with her family. The Oxygen store has a lot of young people who work with them and Tracy inspires them. Together with Tracy’s outstanding commitment to the Oxygen Shop she also volunteered for the St John the Divine’s toddler group.