Bury Free Press Community Awards reveals its winners and highly commended champions

Community heroes in Bury St Edmunds have been recognised through the Bury Free Press Community Awards - after the original ceremony was cancelled due to the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

On September 8 inside the town’s Guildhall the awards, run in partnership with the town council, were set to take place when the news came in and the decision was made to postpone proceedings.

But yesterday at the same venue, community heroes nominated by town residents for contributing to improving the town over the past year were honoured.

Barry Peters, Bury Free Press editor and host, said: “When I start to see the entries trickle in for the community awards, I’m always left inspired and amazed by the hard work, selfless acts of kindness and the good neighbourly attitudes which really make our town tick.

“And that’s the major reason the Bury Free Press has puts its weight behind these awards - to shine a light on some of those wonderful people in our community.”

The night started with the Best Event by a Community Group category, sponsored by Armstrongs Independent Funeral Service, which saw Bury St Edmunds Cricket Club scoop the accolade.

The Nowton Road club was nominated for its charity cricket match against a team of England Legends in July, 2021, which attracted around 800 people and raised £1,000 for West Suffolk Hospital’s My Wish charity.

Sarah Dean of the Suffolk Survivor Network was highly commended, praised for running drop ins and support sessions for women in the area.

Sponsored by Eastern Colleges Group, the next was the Young Citizen of the Year award.

This went to Genna Knight with the highly commended certificate going to seven-year-old Mckenna-Rae Foley.

West Suffolk College health and social sciences student Genna is a young person’s leader for Ixworth Scouts, also helping at Riverwalk School and at Minden House on the college’s site, assisting students with special education needs.

Mckenna-Rae was nominated for her litter picking on the Howard Estate. Her mum, sister and others that nominated her said they were very proud she has inspired others to do the same.

The Good Deed category, sponsored by Ellisons Solicitors, was the next to be revealed.

Jemma Noakes, who won the prize, was said to be ‘a young lady who has been on a one-woman mission to clean up Marham Park, Mildenhall and the Howard Estates’ from those that nominated her.

Mckenna-Rae Foley took home her second highly commended award of the evening.

There were tears as the Everybody Needs Good Neighbours category, sponsored by Treatt, was announced

An emotional Michelle Jennings took to the stage to accept her award, with highly commended honours for Maria Gregory as well as Louise and Mark Williams, who could not make the ceremony.

Michelle, Howard Estate Association of Residents and Tenants’ (Heart) secretary, was nominated for litter picking, helping residents with grass cutting and fixing things as well as assisting many causes including Little Acorns Nursery to purchase equipment.

Maria was nominated for her continued community work on Marham Park, with Louise and Mark Williams, pastors of West Suffolk Vineyard Church, described as having ‘a smile and kind word for everyone’.

Having scooped two highly commended certificates, Mckenna-Rae Foley then finally won the Eco Friendly category, sponsored by JM Finn.

She took to the podium to accept her award, closely followed by Michelle Freeman of Crafty Foxes - taking her first highly commended of the night.

Michelle was praised for craft activities on social media through lockdown, and creating the town’s Christmas tree baubles, celebrating babies born during the pandemic.

On what Mckenna-Rae had achieved at the awards, dad Karl, said: “We are just so very proud of her. This all started because we were walking to school and found a huge pile of plastic cups.

“After about two days Mckenna said we should not be walking through this and asked if we could clean it, we did and it has just gone from there - like I said, just so proud.”

Pigeon Investment Management’s Best Community Group category followed, won by Eastgate Amateur Boxing Club.

With The Green Hearts Community Group highly, who could not make he event, commended and Louise and Mark Williams receiving their second of the night.

Eastgate Boxing Club is volunteer-led for adults, young people and children over nine. The coaches work full time as well as running classes every evening and were described as ‘a great asset to our community’.

The Howard Estate’s Green Hearts Community Group, formed in the pandemic, weed, clear rubbish, cut grass, collect medication, deliver food and have started a safe to knock scheme after incidents of bullying on their estate.

Then it was the turn of the Citizen of the Year award, sponsored by Bennett Homes, was won by Andy Abbott - Michelle Freeman was highly commended for a second time.

From the nominations, Andy was described as an ‘outstanding member of our community, both locally in Southgate and in the wider town - Southgate is undoubtedly richer for him but Bury St Edmunds is too’.

The celebratory evening was brought to a close with the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Ashtons Legal.

Volunteer car ambulance driver Glenn Barker took home the prize.

Transporting patients to appointments during lockdown, those who nominated him said he has driven around 900,000 miles helping people and that he phones his patients the day before so they are less anxious about being collected.

The highly commended pair for this category were Alison Flath and Simon Pott.

Alison has been involved with the Bury St Edmunds Child Contact Centre charity for more 30 years and worked with Helping Hands for many years - doing people’s shopping, taking them to medical appointments and washing hair as well as many other things.

Arriving in Bury in 1975, Simon has been involved in many charities, organisations and auctions.

These include the St Mary’s Church Sexcentenary Appeal, founding BSE British Heart Foundation and being Theatre Royal director for 13 years.

On his winning the award, Glenn said: “I would just like to say thank you to those that nominated me, I am just overwhelmed and humbled. I don’t do it for anything in particular apart from that I like to do it.

“I have an empathy with the wide spectrum of people I take to hospital, who are anxious about where they are going and what is going to happen.

“For example, I have taken three girls to Nottingham Hospital for kidney transplants and their continuing treatment. When you see them start their journey and see the end of their journey, fully fit and running around, it makes it all worth it.”