District heroes honoured at awards night

awards,achievement,2019

A fantastic celebration of those who make the District of Blaby a great place to live took place on Thursday 03 October, at the sixteenth annual Outstanding Achievement Awards.

Eight finalists along with their friends and family joined special guests and sponsors at the Marriott Hotel to enjoy the evening to honour the district’s unsung heroes. BBC Radio Leicester’s Ady Dayman hosted the ceremony.

Winners included Glen Parva’s Ann Dixon, who took Volunteer of the Year. Ann was founder and chair of the Blaby and Glen Parva Community Service for 53 years, which supported local people in the community.

Braunstone Town’s Julie Oldfield took the Good Friend/Good Neighbour honour. Julie is a pillar of support to 20 older people in the area, offering a helping hand to them for tasks from collecting prescriptions to cooking hot meals.

Six-year old Lydia Kettlewell has overcome a tough start in life to make great strides at karate, and took Young Achiever of the Year. Best Community Group/Achievement was awarded to Blaby Mind Matters, a group who battled back from losing their funding to continue offering vital support for their members.

Fosse Park, Leicester Marriott Hotel, Ford and Slater and Aggregate Industries were sponsors of the awards categories, as each winner deservedly took home £500 and runners-up won £250.

Councillor Terry Richardson, Leader of Blaby District Council, said: “These awards are our chance to say thank you to all of the people and groups who highlight how the District of Blaby is a great place to live.

“All of the nominations deserve praise for the selfless work they do in their local community. We know that the thousands of volunteers and hundreds of groups in the district really do make a huge difference to people’s lives.

“Every year I am amazed by the incredible work we get to hear about. We would like to thank everyone who nominated and I want to congratulate all the finalists and to personally thank our sponsors who make this event possible.

“These sponsors ensure the awards go ahead and contribute to Blaby District’s prosperous economy.”

Full list of winners and runners up:

  • Good Friend/Good Neighbour – Winner: Julie Oldfield (Braunstone Town), Runner-up: Beverley and Ken Bunney (Kirby Muxloe)
  • Volunteer of the Year – Winner: Ann Dixon (Glen Parva), Runner-up: Bruce and Andrea Carman (Stoney Stanton)
  • Young Achiever of Year – Winner: Lydia Kettlewell (Narborough), Runner-up: Shantelle York (Braunstone Town)
  • Best Community Group/Community Achievement – Winner: Blaby Mind Matters, Runner Up: Croft Good Neighbours