This is my personal favourite award of the evening – we’ve done it for the last two years we’ve held the awards – 2018 and 2019. This award is a little different from the rest, you guys can nominate anyone or any group that you think has made an outstanding contribution to the Harrogate Mumbler
community. We then have take a short list of the most popular nominations and the award is chosen by a panel of judges. I was part of the judging panel back in 2018 and I can’t tell you how moved I was by reading everyone’s nominations. It really is a special award, so if you know someone who deserves some recognition for what they do – nominations are now open!
Community Award 2022 – nominate here.
Tissues at the ready…
2019 Winner: Kenneth Webb
Known as Grandad to the Oatlands community, During his career he was a civil servant, fire fighter and more recently as a colleague at Sainsburys, he volunteered with St Johns ambulance, at the Tuki café at ST Marks, at Oatlands pre school & at Oatlands Infant School he was Santa & read with the children.
Ken passed away 16th September 2019 & is survived by his daughter is Karen Webb Nevin.
Some of the nomination comments:
- Ken is currently very poorly at St Michaels Hospice hut has given many years of his life volunteering at pre school and the local community.
- Ken has been the most fantastic member of the Oatlands Community and Oatlands Pre School. Volunteering to help out for so many Community events and helping out with story telling at the Pre School and every year since I can remember has been A fantastic community Santa something which my children will always have such fond memories of. He is unfortunately now terminally ill and we can honestly say the Community events will not be the same without him.
- Ken has been a fixture in the community for as long as I can remember: volunteer “grandad” and Father Christmas at Oatlands Pre-School and always ran the bookstall at Pre-School and Infant School jumble sales, then at the Tuki Cafe at St Mark’s. A wonderful carer and role model for the hundreds of children who knew him and a lovely man.
- “Ken Webb or Pre-School grandad as he was formally known has contributed many hours of his time to Oatlands Pre-school and the Community Centre. I know he also volunteered for many others so I am sure this will not be his only nomination.
- Mr Webb has taken his time over the years reading to the children and helping them pick their library books on a Monday. Ken has been on hand to paint the whole or pre-school when it underwent major refurbishment last year. He has had regular book stalls at the pre-school, St Marks Church and Wesley Chapel to raise funds for pre-school. He’s been known to craft for various Christmas Fairs. But what we appreciate the most is his countless outings as the big red man himself ‘Santa’ not just for pre-school but for Little Oats Playgroup, MyLifePool mini meet up playgroup and Oatlands Infant School.
- Sadly Ken hasn’t been very well and in the past few months has been admitted to hospital. Ken got married to his wife in at the Oatlands Chapel before it turned into a pre-school and had an admirable career as a firefighter before he has dedicated his older years to volunteering. I couldn’t think of a better person to take this award for 2019. A wonderful way for Harrogate and the Local community to say ‘Thank you from all of us’”
- I entered Ken Webb into the Community Awards. He was terminally ill and has now passed away at the weekend. I still can’t think of a better person to win this award but thought you should be aware. He meant a great deal to so many. He’s even donated his car to the fire station so they can use it to practice on as an example RTA.
2018 Winner: Mike Collier Scotton Scorchers Football Club
Some of the nomination comments:
- Mike Collier is THE volunteer behind Scotton Scorchers Junior Football Club. He has worked tirelessly over the years to make this club the success it is. From its humble beginnings in 2003 with 7 children it now provides village football for approximately 170 boys and girls with squads playing in the York and Harrogate football leagues. The club is based at Percy Fields in Scotton village and has struggled to find enough pitches for the growing number of teams to train and play on but now through Mike’s efforts we are about to take on the old Scotton golf driving range which will provide us with new pitches. This would not have been possible had it not been for the work that Mike has done to gain grants from a wide range of sources to meet the ë£130 000 cost of the project.
- An amazing guy who’s dedication and commitment to teaching kids football is unparralled
- Mike has been the driving force behind the development of Scotton Scorchers Junior Football Club for over 15 years. During his time he has carried out every role at the club including coaching hundreds of children. The club has grown from an after school club at the village school to a thriving FA Charter Standard Club with over 140 boys and girls participating every week. The span of the club now reaches much further than the village. He has overseen the development of the clubs home ground of Percy Field including the building of a pavilion in 2003 to the current laying of new pitches on the old disused golf driving range. This project in itself has taken 4 years to get off the ground with countless hours put in by Mike liasing with Sport England contractors and the various local and regional councils; all to give local children great facilities to enjoy. Not only has he devoted time and energy to the infra-structure of the club but he is the main driving force behind the rise in participation of girls_Ñé football in the Harrogate area particularly in 2018. As well as coaching the development squad at Scotton a long time after his own daughter finished playing he organises the monthly league galas at Harrogate Town and sets up primary school galas and taster sessions in order to introduce more girls to the game. Mike is highly respected at the West Riding County FA and genuinely is the _ÑÉfont of all knowledge_Ñé when it comes to local grassroots football for children. His devotion self-less drive and energy to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for children to be active over so many years most definitely deserves recognition.
- Mike set up Scotton Scorchers over a decade ago and has worked tirelessly for it ever since. He is first there on a morning and is usually last to leave offering help to other coaches as well as coaching an U8 girls’ team himself. He is always keen to help coaches develop and is continually updating coaches with CPD opportunities. He was the driving force behind the acquisition of of land to build some new pitches reflecting the growth of the club. I could not think of a more deserving recipient.
- I have known Mike for 5 years. During this time he has continually championed girls football in the Harrogate area. In particular his energy at developing opportunities for girls to experience football at an earlier age has given many girls their first taste of this wonderful game. For Scotton in particular his drive has resulted in the start of a complete set of new pitches being developed further enhancing opportunities for more boys and girls to enjoy both physical as well as the social benefits of junior football.
- Mike has and continues to work tirelessly to provide football training and playing opportunity for boys and girls in the area giving up so much of his time to ensure nobody misses out
Community Award 2022 – nominate here.
