Mayor of Bewdley, Coun Nicole Harper, writes for the Standard.
I WISH to celebrate all the wonderful people who serve our Bewdley community by volunteering in so many organisations and charities.
On March 23, at the annual town meeting, I presented a certificate of recognition to the people who have given outstanding voluntary service to our community.
Among them were: Peter Archer – a volunteer at St George’s Hall, Bewdley Civic Society, the Wyre Forest National Trust committee and at the monthly repair cafe.
Sheelah Bolam – for 28 years the civic society’s honorary membership secretary and the honorary outings secretary to the National Trust in Wyre Forest.
Dave Carr – for the last 43 years, he’s lead the recently disbanded Bewdley Marching Band as mace bearer.
Peter Denyer – head of his local neighbourhood watch for the Valley View and Park Dingle community.
Jo Latimer – trustee and treasurer of the parochial church council at All Saints Church in Wribbenhall for more than 30 years, making a vital contribution to the life of the church.
Colin Poutney – for maintaining the football field behind St Anne’s Primary School and turning the whole area into an asset for the community.
Pam Wilson – for devoting more than 40 years to All Saints Church, running so many events and visiting the sick and the elderly whilst being barely able to walk herself.
I presented the Bewdley Civic Award to John Iles.
From the 2000s, John ran the flood information centre with the baptist church and helped establish the Bewdley Residents Flood Committee.
As a Bewdley Town Councillor, John accessed funds from Advantage West Midlands to set up the Bewdley Development Trust and spearheaded projects to revitalise our town, such as St George’s Hall. He is actively involved in the Wyre Community Land Trust he helped establish. John has been a local school governor, treasurer for the
Wyre Forest tourism and leisure forum and has set up a cycling forum for safe routes to school.
For the last five years he has been a churchwarden at St Anne’s Church, working on its future.
I also presented my thanks to the people who helped me this year.
Jenny Chamberlain, for raising funds for my chosen charity, the Robert Poysor Foundation for CRY and offering me support.
Deputy mayor councillor Sharon Harvey, for her invaluable help on several events.
Jane McDonagh and Janet Smith for making sure events went well.
Toucan Music for providing lovely music at my dinner and at The Bewdley Festival for my end-of-year concert – that will take place at 6pm on April 25 at St Anne’s Church
as part of ‘stepping into stories’ day.
Many more individuals and groups contribute to making Bewdley a great place.
I can’t quote them all here but they have my sincere gratitude.
