UNSUNG heroes from Leamington have been awarded for their outstanding and selfless service to the community.
Out-going mayor Coun Judith Clarke, in one of her final mayoral duties, presented dedicated volunteers and organisations with Leamington Mayor’s Awards.
She said: “These dedicated individuals who quietly serve our local community are truly inspirational. They give their time and energy in so many ways and wholeheartedly deserve recognition for all their hard work.”
Leamington Mayor’s Awards honour individuals, groups, and organisations that make significant contributions to the town through their dedication and selfless actions. These awards celebrate a range of achievements, including volunteerism, mentoring, and community support.
Winners this year included The Langra Outreach Project for its outstanding community service. The project prepares and serves meals to anyone in need.
Nicola Olorenshaw-Smith was awarded for her extraordinary volunteering and mentoring, including fostering three younger children with additional needs alongside her own children full-time. She is also a trained listening volunteer with the Samaritans and a mentor with the Flourish charity, which supports young girls locally.
In addition to all this, she is a pen pal for Age UK and regularly takes time from her busy schedule to write to an elderly person she was matched with.
Fran Scott, of Forget Me Not Cafe, was awarded for her dedication to young people. She runs a community cafe aimed at providing a safe space for people with additional needs, offering both comfort and work opportunities.
Hugh Beale from Citizens Advice was awarded for steadfastly giving his time to both clients and colleagues for many years. He consistently goes the extra mile for both clients and the service, turning up at outreach venues when an adviser is needed, spending hours with clients to get to the bottom of their issues and helping to train and uplift both fellow volunteers and new staff.
