Greater than 400 nominations had been acquired reflecting Crawley’s sturdy group spirit. 500 tickets had been issued and there have been to be performances by ((Bounce)) and City Metropolis Dance. Representatives from headline sponsor London Gatwick Airport and class sponsors together with Crawley borough councillors, and group leaders had been attending to pay tribute to the winners and nominees who can be within the viewers together with pals, household and supporters. The work, achievements, efforts and selflessness of all our winners is a supply of nice satisfaction and whereas we could also be unable to carry an Awards Presentation Night this 12 months, we are able to nonetheless recognise and have fun lots of those that contribute a lot to our group.
The winners of the 2020 Crawley Group Awards are:
Sponsored by London Gatwick Airport
Winner – Patrick McIntosh, St. Catherine’s Hospice
Patrick is a sixty-two-year previous triple most cancers survivor, who took on the extraordinary problem of biking from Twickenham to Tokyo to assist elevate cash for St Catherine’s new hospice at Pease Pottage. 4 months, 7,200 miles and eight nations later, Patrick timed his journey completely to reach in Japan two days earlier than the beginning of the Rugby World Cup.
Battling potholes in Russia, the theft of his bike, language limitations and a few brutal climate, Patrick by no means gave up and has raised greater than £110,000
And Patrick isn’t completed but! This 12 months, he’ll proceed his fundraising by biking throughout the USA, Iceland and the UK to finish his around the world journey, elevating extra money to help St Catherine’s.
Winner – Crawley City Group Basis
Established in 2010, the Basis is utilizing the ability of sport and soccer to have interaction, encourage and empower individuals in Crawley and the encompassing areas.
Working with members along with native, regional and nationwide companions, the Basis goals to positively change lives and supply help throughout our group. Their areas of operation are in well being & wellbeing, training, employment and abilities, equalities and inclusion, regeneration & group security.
Their Transfer The Goalposts venture is a soccer and private abilities programme for these experiencing psychological well being difficulties whereas the Crawley Flyers classes provide individuals with a wide range of disabilities the chance to play soccer in an inclusive and relaxed setting.
Winner – Thomas Simpson
Tom is Volunteering Coordinator for the Gatwick Greenspace Partnership, which works with the Sussex Wildlife Belief. He leads a variety of teams round Crawley and Horley in conservation works and rebuilding footpaths and bridges for public entry of our lovely space woodlands.
He does an enormous quantity of conservation work within the space and helps a great deal of group teams. He freely shares his information with the teams and works to make sure the protection of everybody on his websites. He was nominated by Linda Mortimer who mentioned “Tom is a tremendous human being and deserves to be recognised for utilizing his abilities and his ardour for the betterment of his group”.
Sponsored by Arora Resort Crawley/Gatwick
Winner – Graham Cridland
In 2004 Graham established the West Sussex and Surrey Angling Academy. The aim was to make use of fishing as a device to assist troubled and deprived college students to both stay at school, discover employment or reintegrate as valued members of the group. Whereas Graham covers a lot of the price of working these programs by means of fundraising, he has additionally contributed many 1000’s of kilos of his personal cash. Graham has not too long ago prolonged his work to help members of the armed forces and their households to help their restoration and rehabilitation. In Could the Academy opened an Armed Forces, Veterans & Blue Lights Breakfast Membership.
Retired Brigadier Alan Davies who nominated Graham mentioned that his dedication is past all expectation.
Sponsored by the Crawley Observer
Winner – Crawley Parkour
Crawley Parkour are the primary indoor Parkour gymnasium within the South East. It’s run by a small group of younger individuals who put their hearts and souls into this comparatively new enterprise. The game is appropriate for all talents, is non-competitive and helps promote self-worth in a secure setting.
The group have taught a variety of ages from three by means of to sixty-five, with a deal with making an attempt to get individuals energetic and pleased with their train regime. They supply enjoyable and secure teaching classes for colleges, youth golf equipment and scout teams. Their membership contains these with disabilities and from minority teams, strengthening group spirit and cohesion.
Sponsored by Everybody Energetic, K2 Crawley.
Karl’s purpose has been to get as many youthful kids as potential engaged and collaborating with basketball. The Storm Basketball Basis has introduced basketball to 22 of the 23 main colleges in Crawley and to six of the 7 secondary colleges.
The Storm Basketball classes have been delivered to over 1000 kids on a weekly foundation. Particular person leagues have been established for various 12 months teams together with one of many first nationally for years two to 4.
Sponsored by Parkwood Theatres, the Hawth
The Louise Ryrie Faculty of Dance and Drama offers lessons for all ages from toddlers by means of to adults. One class member who nominated the varsity mentioned “I’m a seventy-four 12 months previous scholar of The Louise Ryrie Faculty Of Dance & Drama in Crawley. I strongly suggest this faculty for a Crawley Group Award. Louise has nice endurance with the older dance college students. She makes the category very fascinating and energetic and we at all times stay up for the following lesson.
The varsity additionally arranges Tea Events and Espresso Mornings throughout the 12 months freed from cost to encourage the generations to combine and assist alleviate the loneliness skilled by lots of its aged neighbours.
In 2017, Robert hand-cycled 2,500 miles across the UK shoreline, the one disabled individual to finish this unbelievable problem. Robert has accomplished an enormous quantity to advertise incapacity sport by rising consciousness and displaying the way it impacts individuals’s lives. He’s an acclaimed motivational speaker, sharing his story and his journey since changing into disabled in 2006. He evokes others who’re dealing with challenges by no means to surrender on their goals.
In his nomination Ian Maskell mentioned “I used to be left paralysed following a motorbike accident. Robert invited me to strive one among his hand-cycles. I assumed I’d by no means be capable of cycle once more however Robert gave me the arrogance to take action. Since then I’ve competed in lots of charity rides and I need to thank him for serving to to alter my life”.
Katie is a member of employees at Oriel Excessive Faculty. She was nominated by colleague Sara McWilliam who mentioned “Katie has lived and breathed Crawley all of her life and is proud to be a Crawley resident. She is dedicated to creating group hyperlinks for younger individuals to attach with the older era and is captivated with encouraging younger individuals to volunteer. College students assume the world of Katie and naturally gravitate in the direction of her and her pure nurturing persona brings out the perfect in everybody. We’re so fortunate to have her at Oriel and I really feel privileged to be on her group”.
Sponsored by Blakedown Landscapes
Winner – Crawley Open Home
Crawley Open Home offers help and companies for these struggling the results of homelessness, unemployment, loneliness, discrimination, or different types of social exclusion. Their help is offered to anybody in want. The drop-in day centre will be accessed by anyone who wants assist, recommendation or simply the corporate of any person who cares, empathises and who tries to grasp.
Recommendation is supplied on welfare advantages, serving to individuals by means of the applying course of. They’re additionally in a position to present debt administration recommendation and assist individuals study to enhance their budgeting abilities by means of steerage and planning.
Charlie Arratoon has spent the final 21 years working in each space of help that Crawley Open Home presents, from Well being to Recommendation and Resettlement and since 2013, as Director of this important Crawley charity.
Award sponsored by Manor Royal Enterprise District
Winner – Katie Schollar
Katie volunteers in scouting 4 days per week as a part of the 4th Value Scout Group. She is a younger chief at Cubs and likewise attends two Explorer teams. Katie has volunteered for the previous twelve years together with by means of her GCSEs and now as she research in the direction of her A Ranges.
She will be discovered in any respect occasions comparable to Christmas Gala’s, bonfire nights and any fundraising occasions. Katie mentors younger leaders and helps practice them, sharing the talents she has discovered through the years.
Winner – Upon Butterfly Wings
Upon Butterfly Wings was based in 2011 and since then has donated 1000’s of knitted, crocheted and sewn burial clothes, blankets, cribs and teddies to hospitals and bereavement companies.
Run from founder Lucy’s flat in Crawley, the volunteers make time in their very own busy lives to help bereaved households on this manner. She and her volunteers strive their finest to assist make a desperately unhappy scenario rather less painful. Some have private expertise of the trauma of shedding a child or new child.
These garments usually kind an immensely essential a part of the reminiscence containers households preserve in reminiscence of their little misplaced ones.
Award sponsored by County Mall
Winner – Tremendous Siblings
Tremendous Siblings are a relatively new group providing help for siblings of kids with disabilities. The group offers a membership twice per week in Crawley for youngsters who’ve a brother or sister with bodily or studying disabilities.
One father or mother mentioned “It’s so essential for my son to have the ability to make pals with others who simply get how exhausting it’s residing with a disabled sibling and his confidence has grown a lot”.
One other added “Tremendous Siblings have been a lifeline to our household. They supply a enjoyable and supportive group so my baby can go and be themselves away from the strain of serving to to look after a disabled sibling at house. I can’t reward the helpers sufficient”.
Award sponsored by Optime Group
Winner – Farah Ali Khan
Farah is one among 4 Members of the UK Youth Parliament representing West Sussex. Seventeen-year-old Farah represents Crawley and East Grinstead. She travelled to the Home of Commons in November to participate in a debate on points which notably have an effect on youth. Farah was chosen to learn out the speech of thanks within the Home of Commons.
In 2019, Farah spoke within the Commons on hate crime and led campaigns on human rights; psychological well being; votes for 16-year olds; knife crime; hate crime; environmental points & selling inclusion.
Winner – XIX Crawley RAF Cadets
Nineteen squadron endured a variety of challenges in 2019. This included having their Headquarters Hut in ifield vandalised and their simulator damaged. The Hut wanted full renovation and refurbishment. Regardless of this, the fifty sturdy cadets have gone from energy to energy gaining a brand new commanding officer on the way in which.
The cadet’s spectacular Pipes and Drum band performed on the Edinburgh Navy Tattoo and in entrance of Her Majesty The Queen at Balmoral Citadel. Regardless of having no Headquarters, the cadets continued to rehearse and had been rewarded by profitable the Air Cadets nationwide music competitors for percussion.
They proceed to deal with serving their local people and performed a major half in elevating funds for the Royal British Legion at each Crawley and Gatwick for poppy day.
Award sponsored by Crawley Borough Council
Nick has devoted over twenty years of his life to grassroots soccer and serving to the local people. As an enormous affect and function mannequin for gamers, he managed to create a household from his group. He promotes group values comparable to inclusivity, variety, justice and good manners.
The Crawley Devils began again within the Nineteen Nineties as an Underneath 8s group. One participant describes how Nick single-handedly carried this group by means of their teenage years till they had been grown up with many leaving for college. On their return, Nick was requested to deliver the group again to life and they’re presently of their fifth 12 months of grownup soccer. Nearly forty younger twenty-somethings come collectively each week for coaching and matches creating a big second household for everybody.”
