People from Swanage who were judged to have excelled in their contribution to the town in 2022, were presented with a community award at a ceremony in Swanage.
Nominations for the awards opened in April 2022 and it was then down to a judging panel to choose the most deserving from the entries.
The awards were presented at a reception in the Show Bar at The Mowlem
Rewarding an outstanding contribution to the community
The judges were the then Swanage town mayor Avril Harris, deputy mayor Tina Foster, president of the Swanage and Purbeck Rotary Club Deirdre Selwyn, the rector of Swanage John Mann and Niki Clark Swanage Town Council’s administration and communications manager.
The current deputy mayor Chris Moreton was on hand to present the awards at the evening reception on Monday 10th October 2022 at The Mowlem’s Show Bar.
The awards are aimed at rewarding individuals and organisations for their outstanding contribution to the community.
The invited guests
“A round of applause to the winners with our hearts as well as our hands!”
In welcoming everyone to the event, councillor Chris Moreton said:
“Earlier this year the community awards panel reviewed and considered the nominations received for the 2022 awards. They had a very hard job deciding on the winners, as panel members felt that all of the nominees had made a difference to the local community and all were deserving of an award.
“On behalf of the town council, I would like to thank all of the town’s volunteers for their dedication, energy and enthusiasm.
“Volunteers are at the heart of our communities and with limited government funding for public services, they are crucial to our local towns and villages, and truly make a positive difference from which the whole community benefits.
“I’m delighted to present these awards and to give a round of applause to the winners, with our hearts as well as our hands!”
Winners of the Swanage Community Awards 2022
Deputy mayor Chris Moreton (far left) presents an award to: (from left to right) Dave Pratten, Sally Pratten, Amanda Bursey and Joanna Neill
Green champion
Swanage Beach Buddies – Dave Pratten, Sally Pratten, Amanda Bursey, Joanna Neill and Keith Nuttal
Those nominating said:
“Dave and Sally became involved with the group as keen swimmers, after experiencing lots of litter on the beach and not wanting it to go in the sea. The group was originally set up by Bridget Mayes in 2017 with Dave and Sally taking over as coordinators in spring 2020.
“The group now has many volunteers and their beach cleans complement the work undertaken by Litter Free Purbeck and Swanage Town Council, all year round.
“They also provide talks to local schools, organising special beach cleans for Year 7 pupils.”
Craig Wells chair of Swanage Cricket Club (left) accepts an award on behalf of Tim Ives who was away on holiday
Sporting achievement
Tim Ives
Those nominating said:
“Tim is truly inspirational, leading and coaching local children through the sport of cricket, which he carries out with enthusiasm and provides a positive experience for our young people.
“The Cricket Club is going from strength to strength, recently creating a second pitch on land leased from Swanage Town Council.”
Deputy mayor Chris Moreton (left) presents an award to Michael Davis (right)
Service with a smile
Michael Davis
Those nominating said:
“Michael is a member of the customer service staff at the Swanage Co-op. It’s felt that he goes ‘above and beyond’ (and I hear that that is just his amazing fancy dress outfits, and his painted nails!), always with a big smile, never too busy to chat to his customers, making them feel very special and bringing a smile to their faces.
“If Michael is at the till, the self service tills are empty as people prefer to be served by him. He is a great asset to the Co-op team.”
Left to right: Mel Norris, Chris Moreton, Bob Foster, James Sinclair-Taylor, Deirdre Selwyn and David Williams
Group or organisation of the year
Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust – Bob Foster, Kim Gallagher, Mel Norris, James Sinclair-Taylor, David Williams and Deirdre Selwyn
Those nominating said:
“Formed in 2013 for the benefit of the Swanage community and surrounding area, the trust has worked tirelessly to extend the range of services and facilities available to the residents of Swanage.
“The trust’s first major project undertaken was The Centre (formerly the youth centre) and since then has turned The Centre and Herston Village Hall into ‘community hubs’ providing youth services and childcare as well as hosting community events including the Swanage Jazz Festival.
“Other projects include the Prince Albert Memorial, the Wellbeing Swanage project and the Swanage Volunteer Bureau – the list is endless!”
Deputy mayor Chris Moreton (left) presents an award to Frank Roberts (right)
Volunteer of the year
Frank Roberts
Those nominating said:
“Frank is tireless in his volunteering for Litter Free Purbeck, Swanage Railway, Swanage Army Link ‘Dawn Patrols’, the town’s Remembrance Sunday arrangements and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
“He received the BBC’s ‘Make A Difference Award 2022’ for environmental volunteering, chosen by Chris Packham.
“Some of you may not know that Frank was a serving soldier in the Royal Signals for 25 years before he retired in 2004, what a retirement! Frank also won Purbeck District Council’s Volunteer of the Year award for Swanage in 2017 – I think he’s going for the hat trick!”
Deputy mayor Chris Moreton presents an award to Jan Turnbull
Lifetime achievement award
Jan Turnbull
Those nominating said:
“Jan recently stood down as chair of the Friends of Swanage Hospital, after almost 20 years. During this time she helped to raise sizable funds for the hospital. She also supported some hard fought campaigns, including for the hospital itself, the minor injuries unit and the Swanage Ambulance Car.
“She also helped in the management of the hospital’s new garden, car park and undercroft area projects – all for the benefit of patients, staff and visitors to the hospital. The award should recognise these amazing achievements.”
Longstanding member of staff at Swanage Primary School Sarita Dominy was unable to attend the presentation but sent a message to say she was delighted to accept the award as long as all the other members of staff were recognised too for their hard work and dedication
Special recognition award
Sarita Dominy
Those nominating said:
“Sarita was a longstanding member of staff at Swanage Primary School and should be recognised for the help and care she gave to children and parents alike which was done with such a wonderful balance of professionalism and helpfulness.
“She did not take any ‘nonsense’ and was always able to help parents with last minute, forgetful moments, and oddball requests! Sarita’s commitment to the school for so many years should be recognised.”
Deputy mayor Chris Moreton presents an award to Martin Prouten
Swanage Ambulance Car team – Martin Prouten, Russell Fox and the team
Those nominating said:
“The team should be recognised for their invaluable service, hard work and dedication to the local community. They provide an invaluable service to the residents of Swanage and Purbeck.
“They go beyond the realms of their job description with the care they provide on a regular basis, at all times of the day and night.”
The local emergency teams at the presentation: Swanage NCI Coastwatch, community first responders, Swanage Coastguard, Swanage Ambulance Car crew, Swanage Fire Station and Swanage RNLI. The Purbeck neighbourhood policing team were unable to attend
Local emergency services
In addition to the awards, Swanage Town Council extended a special thank you to the local emergency services. Rounding off the evening, councillor Chris Moreton said:
“I’d like to thank all of you, many of whom are with us tonight, for the positive and tireless work you undertake in Swanage and the surrounding areas for the benefit of our community. It’s been a very busy and difficult year so far.”
