Bexley’s latest council meeting was the chance to reward “a range of people who have served the borough extraordinarily well” during this year’s civic recognition awards.

EVERY year Bexley invites people to nominate those who they feel have contributed their time to help others and make the borough a better place.

The three award categories are for young people, adults who have served the community over many years and an award for outstanding achievement.

This year the judging panel received three nominations for young people, 19 for adults and three for outstanding achievement.

The winners were each presented with a citation and award by Bexley’s mayor, Councillor Val Clark, in front of a packed council chamber.

Young People’s Awards

Ryan Osborne, 16, a pupil at Trinity School, Belvedere, was nominated by the school for the work he has done with young carers, through the Bexley Moorings Project. He helped produce an information pack to raise awareness and came up with the idea of a phone card, included in the pack, used in schools which alerts them to the fact that a pupil is also a carer.

Luke Robertson, 17, was nominated by the president of the 2nd East Wickham Scouts Don Bevan, for his wide variety of community activities. Luke, from Welling School, is a Gold Youth Ambassador for the 2012 Olympic Games and well as the Sports Ambassador for the borough. He is a spokesman for the Scout Association, helps with the Beavers and Cubs at his local church and still found time to help care for his grandfather when he came home from hospital after breaking his pelvis.

Ashleigh Cooper has carried out more than 4,000 hours of voluntary work since 2008. Aged 17, Ashleigh was nominated by Pete Pattison, a teacher at Blackfen School for Girls, where she is a pupil. She helped run a residential event to build confidence in youngsters starting secondary school, led training for young people on handling other difficult youngsters and volunteers with the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. Ashleigh also helped run the garden project at Sidcup youth centre, is a member of Bexley’s youth service peer educators group, is a qualified first aider and trampoline teacher.

Outstanding achievement

The outstanding achievement award went to Len and Yvonne Arnold who run the Europa Gym Club in Erith, which they have built up over 17 years, even selling their home to keep it going. As well as producing outstanding gymnasts at national and international level, the gym also runs sessions for everyone from adults with special needs to pre-school children. More than 1,000 people use the club where other activities have also produced top young boxers and weightlifters. Thanks to their dedication and determination, the club will move into new premises in Crayford soon, which will be a designated Olympic in-Games training centre for volleyball.

Adult award winners

Adult award winners were Gillian Collins (founder of Bexley support group for dementia sufferers, now Bexley Alzheimer’s Society), Gurdial Singh Shergill (34 years’ work with Bexley Council for Racial Equality), Rita Benwell (volunteer helper at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup, for 26 years), David Friend (work with Erith School including a governor for 25 years), Ray Hudson (work as a magistrate, Neighbourhood Watch chairman and 12 years with Bexley Community Policing Engagement Group), Ken Foard (65 years’ work as welfare officer and chairman of the Royal Artillery Association), Paul Ayliffe (33 years’ work with Bexleyheath Boys’ Brigade), Pauline Soler Gomez (30-plus years with Scouting and Guiding), Angela Ford (21 years’ work with Beavers, Cubs and Scouts), Sheila Nunn (has run a Brownie pack for 24 years),Monica Landridge (41 years working with Guides), Stephanie Lee (working with Guides), Maureen White (running baton twirlers Riverside Reflections), Eileen Vamplew (work with Brownies and Guides), Irene Beschizza (40 years’ work with Brownies and Guides), and the officers and instructors of Bexley’s Air Training Corps.