NEWS STORY: NOVEMBER 2009

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northAwards

Monsall Beavers Colony with their award

People at the northAwards

In October we recognised those residents who have really helped to improve your communities with our second annual northAwards bash.

The ceremony, at the Sheridan Suite, was a celebration of the hard work and dedication of some of north Manchester’s most public-spirited locals. The judges had a tough time making their final decisions, but this year’s winners were:

Best Contribution by a Local Community Organisation

Monsall Beavers Colony
Formed in 1997, the beavers have gained an excellent reputation within the community.

Aged between six and eight, they meet once a week at the Turkey Lane and Monsall Centre for fun and games and to learn basic life skills. Each year they choose a charity to raise funds for and this year they have contributed towards the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. They know how to have fun too, one of their recent projects was to create their very own robot out of recycled materials.

Tenants & Residents Group of the Year

Coleridge Street Tenants and Residents Association (CSTAR), Newton Heath
Since 2007, CSTAR have been instrumental in involving their community in local initiatives. They have been especially proactive organising events for younger, older and vulnerable people. They have also been very involved with local schools; for instance, this Spring they planted a mini orchard in Scotland Hall Road Park with children from Christ the King Primary in Newton Heath.

Pam Angelucci Award

(For the individual who has most improved their environment)

Keith Hilditch, Higher Blackley
Keith has played a huge part in getting residents involved in making a community garden on Ruthin Avenue, transforming their area into a brighter place to live. He helped establish a gardening club, and the members funded all the flowers and plants themselves, adding lots of attractive features including a barbeque area, a bird table, a mini pond, benches, and even a hedgehog house.

Citizen of the Year

Michael Green, Cheetham
Michael is an active member of our Resident Involvement Forum and the Hendham Vale Tenants Association. He works tirelessly to improve his area, organising fun days for local children and reporting environmental issues. He acts as a recycling champion for the Hendham Vale estate, collecting and storing cans, paper and bottles for the estate to encourage recycling.

Outstanding Individual Award

John Ogden, Newton Heath
John and his younger brother Ben both have disabilities, but their parents were keen to see them live independent lives, so encouraged them to live together. John takes a lead role in the home, managing the property while also looking out for his brother. He’s a whiz at cooking and cleaning!

Good Neighbour Award

George Brown, Higher Blackley
George takes great delight in making others happy and enjoys making the local area look attractive. As well as an avid gardener, George makes wooden storage containers for mobility wheelchairs.

Ivy Graham Award

(For long standing contribution to the neighbourhood)

Peggy Yuill, Blackley and Kath Hope, Newton Heath
Since 1989, Peggy has been a valued asset to the residents of Charlestown, particularly on the Dam Head estate. She has a passion for improving her local environment and has also campaigned for the rights of older people. Conducting her own walkabouts and acting as the ‘eyes and ears’ of her estate, Peggy was a forerunner in the development of services like the Northwards Wardens, Environment Officers and Street Environmental Managers.

Kath has made her name as Chair of the Queensferry Tenants Association and the Riverways Area Panel. Even when she isn’t feeling 100 per cent, she still takes on neighbours problems and strives to resolve them, offering a helping hand along the way. She was recently instrumental in getting the newly unveiled ‘Ivy Graham Close’ in Newton Heath named after her late friend and fellow community champ.

Congratulations to all the winners and a big thank you to them for helping to strengthen the sense of community in north Manchester.

Special thanks also to the sponsors of the event: the Kinetics Group, Manchester Working and Wates Living Space.

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