Eastwood volunteers celebrated at Mayor of Broxtowe's Voluntary Awards night

At the awards, on March 13, Mayor of Broxtowe Coun Robert Bullock (Brox All) presented awards to winners across eight award categories, celebrating the community spirit and supportive nature of the borough.

Among the winners was Freya Buxton, who won the Boyes-sponsored Young Volunteer Award for her support of the Eastwood Poppy Appeal for several years.

Another Eastwood winner was Colin Fletcher, a long-time volunteer at the DH Lawrence Museum, who won the Culture and Heritage Award.

Runners-up in that award were the Friends of Bennerley Viaduct group and Anna Sheldon, who has supported the development of a community dance group in Brinsley.

There was further runners-up recognition in the Green Futures Award for Helene Laanest, who runs Canopy 2050, which aims to aims to substantially increase the tree canopy across the whole of Broxtowe and The Friends Of Colliers Wood group.

And Eastwood Memory Cafe was a runner-up in the Community Hero Award.

Coun Bullock said: “It was an absolute privilege to be able to host these awards and each and every one of the winners is a credit to our borough and the wonderful, caring people who live here.

"It was great to also have our runners up present on the night to also applaud them for their continues efforts to help improve the lives of local people.

“I would also like to thank our sponsors John Pye Auctions, Boyes, AW Lymn and The Pudding Pantry for their support for this important community event.”

Winners on the night were as follows:

Youth Work Award

Winner: Karen Anderson (4th Beeston Brownies leader)

Runners-up: Katie Humpherson (local Brownies leader) and Steve Lewis (youth worker at Transform Training).

Young Volunteer Award – sponsored by Boyes

Winner: Freya Buxton (suppoter of Eastwood Poppy Appeal for several years)

Runners-up: Amelia Rose Lings (litter picker and fundraiser) and Phoebe Chiu (Bramcote Swimming Club volunteer)

Sporting Volunteer Award

Winner: Paddy Reston (Stapleford Cricket Club)

Runners-up: Pete Scott (Stapleford Town Football Club member) and Jeanette Rigby (Bramcote Swimming Club volunteer)

Culture and Heritage Award

Winner: Colin Fletcher (volunteer at DH Lawrence Museum)

Runners-up: Friends of Bennerley Viaduct and Anna Sheldon (supported development of a community dance group in Brinsley).

Green Futures Award

Winner: Martyn Oliver (volunteer at Serenity Garden)

Runners Up: Helene Laanest (Canopy 2050) and The Friends Of Colliers Wood.

Community Hero Award

Winner: Andrew Checkley (Girlguiding leader)

Runners-up: Eastwood Memory Cafe and Sharon Cahill (volunteer at Broxtowe Family Hub)