Town's Merit Awards
Town's Merit Awards Announced
Two individuals and three groups were honoured through the Littlehampton Town Council's Annual Merit Awards held in March.
Acknowledged for their outstanding contributions to Littlehampton, the two individual awards were given to Mrs Betty Beaton and Michelle Bly with the three group awards going to Littlehampton & Wick Friends of St Barnabas House, Stage Door Theatre Company and Sussex Tornados.
The Town Council thanked all individuals and organisations for their hard work and dedication.
The individual recipients were:
Mrs. Betty Beaton: in recognition of nearly 60 years of dedication to the 5th Littlehampton Scouts and the Scout Fellowship which she is still doing today at 86 years. Mrs Beaton’s hard work has been invaluable in fundraising for the Scouts.
Michelle Bly: in recognition of more than 10 years of service to the Community and fundraising in Wick & Littlehampton. Michelle runs the Flower Shop in Wick and with her team they regularly support community activities including many fundraising events, this year alone £1,400 have been raised for good causes. Michelle spends a lot of her time helping at Wick events throughout the year.
And the groups:
Littlehampton & Wick Friends of St Barnabas House: in recognition of their 25 years of dedication to St Barnabas House through fundraising and long-standing support. The group are celebrating 25 years of fundraising and awareness-raising this year. Ably led by founder member Gladys Bourne, this group of volunteers has raised over £152,000 for the hospice since they formed. The group organise their own events, which include a weekly line dancing session and their popular Friendship Club held every other Wednesday at Littlehampton United Church Hall.
Stage Door Theatre Company: for over 20 years of performances for residents and visitors to the Town. Stage Door Theatre Company was formed in 1997 under the chairmanship of Mike Gearing to bring together amateur dramatics and offer the Town performing comedy, straight plays and farces, as well as an annual musical for the residents of the town to enjoy. Their first production was the musical “Annie Get Your Gun” and November 2018 saw the society reach its 21st anniversary with a production of the musical “Oliver” which performed to sell out houses and see's the society go from strength to strength under its current chairman Alan Moss.
Sussex Tornados: for over 20 years of service to the Town through their commitment to Cheerleading and support to the Community. Another community group in it’s 21st year, Sussex Tornados, are a completely voluntary run cheerleading programme providing a facility for children and young people with more than 100 members. Over the years the group have competed across the UK and internationally including Florida, in the USA. They have also taken part in television appearances including ITV1s “Let's Get Gold” in 2012.
In addition to physical fitness the team encourage a “family” ethos and support and encourage the development of the children by fundraising and participating in local events.
Speaking about the Town Merit Awards, a Littlehampton Town Council Spokesperson said: “The Awards are a way of recognising the importance of the contribution made by individuals and groups to the vibrancy of the Town. The community spirit in Littlehampton continues to astound, achieving so much for the benefit of everyone.”