Last Thursday we celebrated the winners of our Town Awards!
The event was a lovely gathering hosted by our Mayor, Cllr Adrian Dite. Four town awards were presented plus the Mayor's special award:
This year's recipient is Mike Ashford! Thame Shed is a place close to Cllr Dite's heart; it’s a place for skill-sharing, creativity, and learning. After a trip to Australia and experiencing the shed life over there, Mike Ashford knew that a shed in Thame could thrive and enhance the town, which it has done! Mike’s tenacity has helped raise funds for the shed, as well as making it a community staple for all. It has allowed many to create new friendships, sharpen old skills and build some impressive pieces!
The ServicewithaSmile award is for a business or individual that consistently provide a faultless and friendly service, and our winners have done just that! Our winners received many nominations for both of their stores in Thame, crediting the strong teams for their attention to detail, care when dealing with sensitive subjects and for turning customers into friends with ease. The winners are Boots, both in the High Street and East Street! We were so happy to have Jo and Ievea from both stores receiving the award; both had been named in their nominations.
Next up was our Creative Arts Contribution award for individuals who excel in the creative arts and have contributed to the creativity of our town. This year's winner is Tony Long! Tony was nominated in recognition of his nearly 40 years of work behind the scenes and on stage at the Thame Players Theatre. If you haven’t seen him as the beloved pantomime dame, you will have seen him investigating the town, leading tourists through the streets of Thame on a Midsomer Murders tour!
The Company of the Year award is for a local employer that has gone the extra mile to the benefit the wider community. Our winner is BARR Group for their support, encouraging staff to take part in lots of training and further qualifications such as apprenticeships. The local company was also nominated for the opportunities they have provided to students, allowing them to gain an insight into the construction business.
Finally we finished the night on our Volunteer of the Year award which recognises individuals who have worked tirelessly for the good of our community. Many of you will know this person as a town councillor, a position they held for over 30 years, but in addition to this impressive service to the town, she has volunteered her time to so many local organisations which were recognised on the evening. Our winner volunteers for St Mary's church as a verger and as an Anna Chaplain, whose duties include visiting the elderly and giving them comfort in their homes and local residential homes. In addition she has been a Trustee of Thame Museum, Trustee and Chair of Thame Housing Trust, Foundation Chair of Thame Town Women’s Guild, Trustee of Thame Welfare Trust, Trustee of Thame Community Land Trust and Standard Bearer for the British Legion and now President of Oxfordshire British Legion. This year’s Volunteer of the Year Award goes to Ann Midwinter.
We would like to thank our sponsors: Specsavers, The HR Agency and Pentangle as well as our panel. One panel member, Jeni Pilkington, who has been on the panel since the first awards took place 14 years ago, has decided to step down, but we are so grateful for all the work she has done for the awards over the last few years and in recognition of this she was presented with a bouquet of flowers.
