The Pride of Essex Awards 2013!

 The Pride of Essex Awards 2013

Songwriter and musician Rick Wakeman helped nominees take pride of place at the Pride of Essex Awards along with former X Factor contestant Sam Callahan presenting awards to Child of Courage Nominees.

 

The Directa UK Ultimate Pride of Essex Award which was presented by our Senior Director Martin Storey went to J’s Hospice founder Denise Whiffin. She formed the hospice to care specifically for young adults who had outgrown children's hospices, in memory of her son. 

She was among 20 award nominees from Chelmsford, Colchester, Feering, Manningtree, Braintree, Grays, Clacton and Thaxted selected from dozens of entries from across the county at the prestigious ceremony at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford.

The awards recognise courage, determination, outstanding achievement often in the face of adversity, exceptional care in the community and fundraising.

Other top awards were:  the Potters Resort Community Champion, which recognises and rewards outstanding achievement or fundraising within the community went to the Friends of Katie who have raised £69,000 for Little Havens Hospice: the Blue Strawberry Unsung Hero, to Ray Clements, 82, for exceptional care in the community by an individual for his outstanding work with Hearing Help Essex and the Susie Cornell Child of Courage, which recognises and the achievement of deserving children who overcome adversity, went to Martin Bennett, 13, from Colchester who has spinal muscular atrophy. Special awards were given to the Maldon Mud Race organisers and Chelmsford Town Crier Tony Appleton.

 

The awards were first started 20 years ago, inspired by multiple sclerosis champion Susie Cornell and re-launched as the Pride of Essex Awards in 2012.

In the Ultimate Pride of Essex category those highly commended were: Crystal Roberts from Colchester who was involved in a car accident in August when her youngest daughter Diamond, aged 9 months was killed but despite the trauma and loss, found time to raise money for Addenbrookes Hospital and Essex Air Ambulance; the Lambert family of Beverley, John, son Richard and his partner Nicola, and youngest son Dean, 7, who have all overcome many difficulties and obstacles; Amanda Simmons from Thaxted, who helped revive the Atlantis Swimming Club in Dunmow and Caroline Shearer from Clacton who launched the Only Cowards Carry campaign against knife crime following the death of her son.

Highly commended in the Community Champions category were: Billericay Round Table for exceptional fund raising; Essex Chapter Harley Riders who have raised funds for charities for 20 years and Ken and Claire Winberg who raised more than £85,000 for Chigwell riding Trust.

In the Unsung Hero award, those highly commended were: Stan Davies from Braintree, chairman of the Friends of Flitch way; Louise Thain from Cressing  for her work with special needs children and other voluntary work with young people; Mark Dale from Grays for his work to improve the lives of those affected by physical and mental disability and Mary Green, who has given 39 years of voluntary service to Acorn Village, a residential setting in Mistley, Manningtree where sixty-three adults with learning disabilities live.

Highly commended in the Child of Courage category were: Christopher Pagan from Thundersley who lost mobility, speech and partial hearing but overcame his disabilities; Annie Wheate, 14, from South Woodham Ferrers. who has a form of cerebral palsy, which affects her ability to walk but who now attends dance classes despite discomfort and pain; Fabien Holmes, 9, from Dagenham who has cerebral palsy but who has overcome many of his disabilities and Isabelle Harris from Feering diagnosed with quadriplegia cerebral palsy soon after birth but who is described as a true fighter.

www.prideofessexawards.org.uk