Mayor honours local volunteers for their dedication to the borough

Forty-two volunteers, aged between 15 and 79, have been recognised by the Mayor for their valuable commitment to the community at the Mayor’s annual Volunteer Awards on Friday 19 July 2019.

There were six award categories this year – long service volunteers, individual volunteers, individual trustees, young volunteers (under 25), volunteering teams and a business award.

President John Draper and Past President Jane attended on behalf of Banstead Rotary. They received The Volunteer Team Award which honoured Banstead Rotary with special recognition for dedicated service to the community.

Each winner was presented with a framed certificate by the Mayor of Reigate & Banstead, Councillor Keith Foreman, at the ceremony last Friday. The ceremony was held at Reigate Town Hall, and the winners were then treated to a reception to thank them for their hard work.

The Mayor said of the winners: ‘I’m thrilled that so many hardworking and dedicated volunteers were nominated by their peers again this year. My Mayoral theme is “Working together for our great community”, and the Volunteer Awards is a wonderful way to recognise all those who generously volunteer.

"Many of them put in a lot of time and effort into helping others, and it’s this selfless attitude that means so much to many members of our community. I cannot express my gratitude enough to each and every winner."

The annual awards scheme, now in its sixteenth year, celebrates members of the borough who have spent time helping others. The awards are run by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Voluntary Action Reigate and Banstead.

Alisdair Semple, Chair of Voluntary Action Reigate & Banstead said: "Every day, we see the difference that volunteers are making in people’s lives. Volunteers don’t just think about making the world a better place, they get out there and do it! The Mayor’s Volunteer Awards is just a small way of saying thank you to our local volunteers for the difference they make.”