THE first of a new set of awards for community champions have been presented to people from across Wellington.

The certificates were presented by new Wellington Mayor Cllr Marcus Barr at last week’s annual parish meeting.

Cllr Barr said he was delighted to present the awards to the deserving recipients and that it had not been an easy choice in making the final decisions.

The awards, which were promoted by the town council, were made in four categories – youth, community, business, and civic.

The ‘civic’ award was for an individual who had worked for the benefit of the Wellington community, the ‘business’ one was for a company which had engaged with the community for the benefit of the town, ‘community’ was for a group or organisation which had brought a benefit to the local community, and the ‘youth’ certificate was for a young person who had worked for the benefit of Wellington.

They were presented as follows:

YOUTH AWARD – DULCIE HARDING: Fifteen-year-old Dulcie started volunteering for the charity Feeding Communities a couple of years ago and she and her younger brother helped to distribute Friday night meals for carers and their families so they could have some respite from cooking.

For two years running, she created a fabulous calendar using her own spectacular photography from around the Wellington area in the first year and then ran a photographic competition in school for talented students and staff in the second year.

Wellington School’s art department helped Dulcie with the layout and formatting of the calendar and the school print office printed beautiful glossy calendars.

The initiative was promoted by the school on all social media channels and she sold the calendars in school, at Carol Services, concerts and a Winter Wonderland.

Dulcie raised a fabulous £900 each year which was matched by the school caterers Thomas Franks Foundation up to £2,000.

This money then went towards producing, packing, labelling, and distributing 2,000 meals in the school kitchen.

Dulcie oversaw the production and distribution and went with the charity Feeding Communities to schools and local needy individuals to distribute hot meals to those who would not otherwise have access to meals.

In addition, some of the money raised went to purchase a community freezer which is located in school, which is filled with home-made meals for members of the community to access should they need a good meal throughout the year.

Her nomination read: “Dulcie is single-minded and dedicated in her fund-raising efforts, never losing sight of the objective, quietly and persistently chasing individuals to get things done and to make a difference.

“She is an extraordinarily determined young lady who had single-handedly made a significant impact on the lives of thousands of individuals.”

COMMUNITY AWARD – WELLINGTON MAJORETTES: A fantastic, inclusive and friendly group who provide a place for children, teenagers and adults to learn a new skill and be part of a team. 

They give so much back to the community from visiting the local care homes and entertaining the residents to representing Wellington in parades, performances, and carnivals in many different towns and villages.

The nomination read: “I have two girls in the troupe. One has type one diabetes and from day one she has been included and extra measures put in place for her for safety during displays and carnivals.

“She has never felt left out or that her diabetes was too difficult to deal with.

“Wellington Majorettes are an amazing group that brings together children and young people from ages four to 20-plus.

“My daughter has grown massively in self-confidence since she has joined and developed a sense of pride in being part of Wellington.

“I am constantly amazed at the dedication of the organisers who live, eat and breathe majorettes. All the age groups muck in together and they also include boys these days.

“They go out to Portugal and perform, representing Wellington, and they perform all over the county.”

Town clerk Dave Farrow said: “As a community group they are always supportive of town council events supporting us in planning and delivery for example marshalling road closures and providing volunteers to help thought the day.”

BUSINESS AWARD – BRADLEY ELLISON OF ELLISONS SCHOOL OF MOTORING: During the Covid-19 pandemic they volunteered to collect scrubs being made by volunteers all over Somerset and deliver them to hospitals and doctors across the county.

After the pandemic they gave away two free packages to nominated individuals helping a nurse to finally pass her driving test and help another Wellington resident pass his C1 test to help him take the next step to becoming a paramedic.

This was done simply to create some positivity after Covid-19.

Annually, they give away a fully-funded driving course to a worthy resident to help them change their prospects and life.

The nomination read: “This is all done without looking for praise or accolade but just to do the right thing.

“Director Bradley Ellison, while only 25, is key to this drive and is a local Wellington resident born and raised.

“Educated at Beech Grove and then Court Fields, Bradley has overcome verbal dyspraxia to prove that with effort and commitment success can be achieved.

“I am proud that he strives to give back to the community and it is our young business people like Bradley who are key to continuing the community spirit that is deeply embedded in Wellington. Good luck to all of them.”

CIVIC AWARD – DAVE BURGE: This award is in recognition of his devotion to what is a very demanding job in keeping the streets of Wellington town clean.

The nomination read: “It must be very frustrating for him to keep finding more litter in places he has just cleared, but I think he does a marvellous job and dread to think what the town would look like if we did not have him.

“He does excellent work keeping Wellington town centre litter free especially when you get a minority of people who do not care for the environment. I have also seen him cutting back hedges keeping them tidy.”

Town clerk Dave Farrow said: “From a town council perspective, Dave could not be more supportive.

“At town council events when we turn up at 6 am to start setting up, Dave is already out and about emptying bins, making sure the street are clean and tidy and preparing for the day.

“When we finish at the end of the day Dave is always the last person there clearing up and making sure the town is tidy for the next day.

“He does jobs that I know are not in his remit because he wants the town to look its best. He goes above and beyond all the time.”