Somerset’s unsung community heroes have been honoured by Somerset County Council Chairman Nigel Taylor for their tireless efforts – with two people from the Burnham-On-Sea area being recognised.
Footpath champions, litter-pickers, village hall veterans and public loo saviours were among those honoured by Councillor Taylor when he presented awards recently.
The annual awards recognise outstanding commitment to Somerset’s communities and Cllr Taylor is delighted to be able to show his gratitude.
“These awards represent the sincere thanks of the County Council for the great things that people do to help others,” he said. “These are the people who give so much time to their communities – often unnoticed. The value added to our county is immeasurable.”
“The range of what our community champions do is extraordinary and I was delighted to be able to show them that what they do is valued and appreciated. It is remarkable what people in all walks of life carry out, things that might not otherwise happen without their goodwill.”
The public was asked to come forward with nominations for people who have made an outstanding contribution to their community.
Jendy Weekes from the village of Mark near Burnham-On-Sea has received one of the awards for involvement with the Village Community Association, managing the village hall, becoming the Booking Secretary, managing the village website and being Trustees of the Association. Jendy has a passion to organise each year a Take Art event which can be anything from plays, musical shows or children puppet theatres. She also volunteers in the Burnham-On-Sea RNLI shop, which she helped to set up, and is the leading lady at Mark Harvest Home serving lunch to 450 people each year. Jendy is a valued member of the village and with a cheerful personality, is always willing to help out when asked to do so, we believe she is truly deserving of this award.
Peter Brown of Wedmore has also received an award, having worked tirelessly for several years overseeing the creation of the new recreation ground in Wedmore. To date, he has raised £1.4million in funding towards building the new sports pavilion which when completed will be a fantastic asset to the community and surrounding parishes.
