Three residents from Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge are set be honoured for their service to the community today (Sunday).
Mayor Cllr Michael Clarke will lead the annual Civic Service to recognise those who have helped the two towns.
Les Barber, Alun Davies and Neville Jones are to receive this year’s awards during a special service in St Andrew’s Church at 3pm, led by the Mayor’s guest of Honour, Mrs James Nelson, the High Sheriff of Somerset.
The Mayoral party will leave the Princess Theatre and Arts Centre for a short procession to St Andrew’s Church, pictured above. Following the service they will return to the Princess Theatre for a tea.
A council spokeswoman said: “Les Barber has worked tirelessly to ensure that Project Coach gained the Coach Friendly status for Burnham-On-Sea, which it retained the following year and continues to promote the town throughout the coaching industry. Burnham has seen a huge increase in coach visitor numbers over the past two years because of the work he has done. He is also a member of the Burnham-on-Sea Lions Club, being President last year. Les puts many hours into many projects and local events including logistics, road closures and PA equipment.”
Alun Davies has been a key organiser of the town’s food bank. The council says: “He is there day-in day-out ensuring that the emergency food is there to help people through a short term crisis. Since the Foodbanks launch in 2012 he has been involved in sorting the food ready for distribution at the warehouse in Burnham-on-Sea and helps with the logistics of donated food from across the area, from Berrow and Lympsham through to Huntspill and beyond.”
Neville Jones OBE is also being awarded a Civic Award to recognise the number of activities he has been involved in over the years. They include his 30 years as a Town Councillor of which he had served as Mayor on four occasions; Somerset County Council from 1977 and Sedgemoor District Council from 1985; Chairman of the Federation of Economic Development Authorities for which he received his OBE; He secured funding for improvements to the Princess Theatre; was instrumental in the set-up of the Burnham Medical Fund which ran for 27 years; helped to save the local swimming pool when it was threatened with closure; and when the Tourist Information centre was to close, he was influential and played a crucial contributory role in the set-up of Burnham Information & Rescue Service (BiARS). Currently, Neville is President or Patron of four prominent local organisations; BARB Search & Rescue, Sounds & Voices (recording for the blind), Monarchs Acrobatic Gymnastics Club and Burnham’s Royal British Legion.
