Local community groups have received a special unsung hero award from Staffordshire County Council.
Among the groups to receive the accolade for their contributions to their local communities include Burntwood Breast Care, Alrewas Island Volunteers, Stonnall Coffee Club, Late Night Listeners.
The new awards have been introduced by the current chairman of the county council, Cllr Phil Hewitt. He said:
“There’s a huge amount of fantastic work being done by voluntary groups right across our great county, which we’re all extremely grateful for.
“I think it’s really important that we recognise these amazing contributions, which is why I’ve introduced the Unsung Hero Awards.
“Through the awards, we can show our appreciation to those individuals and groups and thank them for what they do and for the difference they make in their local communities.
“It was a real privilege for me to present the awards on behalf of the county and I’d like to say a huge well done to the groups involved.”
Cllr Phil Hewitt, Staffordshire County Council
Pauline Walker, from Burntwood Breast Care – which meets every third Wednesday of the month from 10am to 12.30pm at Burntwood Institute – said:
“The group was formed 14 years ago to give love, hope and friendship to ladies with Breast Cancer and a promise that they never need to feel alone before, during or after their cancer journey.
“We are honoured and happy to receive the Chairman’s Unsung Hero Award.”
Pauline Walker, Burntwood Breast Care
David West-Mullen, coordinator at Late Night Listeners of Lichfield, said:
“The Late Night Listeners are quietly overjoyed and very proud of the accolade in being nominated for the Staffordshire County Council’s Unsung Heroes Award.
“Our volunteers have been out on the nighttime streets of Lichfield since 2008, with the exemption of Covid, dispensing hot drinks, biscuits and sweets, flip-flops, warm smiles and a listening ear, as a way of serving people in the city.
“The listeners are all volunteers with big hearts for making a difference in their local community.”
David West-Mullen, Late Night Listeners
Future awards ceremonies are planned to recognise more organisations from across Staffordshire in 2024.