29
Oct
‘We can get on if we try’: Ripon awards showcase city’s inspiring individuals
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Ripon’s community stars were celebrated at an awards night last week.
The St Wilfrid’s Stars Awards were established in 2022 by the community interest company Ripon Together to recognise organisations and individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the city.
Eleven awards were given last Thursday (October 23) at Ripon Cathedral.
Ripon Men’s Shed, a charity that tackles loneliness, won the community organisation award. It has over 60 members.
In the past two years, it has raised enough money to buy the church in which it is based.
The environment award went to Colin Slator, who was judged to have “single-handedly taken on stewardship and improvement of the Little Studley meadows”.
Mr Slator also had a hand in the establishment of the High Batts nature reserve and still regularly volunteers there.
Stuart Martin was named overall volunteer of the year, for being “involved in almost everything big or important in the voluntary sector for many years".
Mr Martin's roles include being a trustee of Community House, a kingpin of the community poppy project, a trustee of the library, a councillor and a member of the Ripon Together board.
He also spends time on charitable projects abroad every year.
David Ingham, of Ripon Together, said:
St Wilfrid's Stars Awards presentation was a great success and after recent differences of opinion in Ripon, shows that we can get on, if we try.
We had a variety of people with differing views about the city council and other things in Ripon, all in one place at the same time; and I think we all agreed that we have plenty to be thankful for and to encourage locally. Collaboration, helping others and a desire to get on with things were all celebrated last night, it's a great example to us all.
List of winners
The full list of winners can be found below:
- Young Person: Luke Parker and Grace Robertson
- Young People's Group: Ripon Youth Council
- Individual Supporter of Youth: Steph Martin
- Business: Kelly and Sarah Hirst, The Black Swan
- Community Individual: Anne-Marie Tarter
- Community Organisation: Ripon Men's Shed
- Culture: Financial supporters of St. Cecilia's Orchestra, Trevor & Elizabeth Ingham and the orchestra's trustees
- Sports and Activity Groups: Andrea McAuslan
- Tourism: Ripon's hornblowers
- Environment: Colin Slator
- Volunteer of the Year: Stuart Martin
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