News Maidstone Compassionate Community Awards celebrates people making a difference
The Maidstone Compassionate Community Awards were held this week to celebrate and acknowledge individuals, groups and organisations who have gone above and beyond to make a difference to so many people in their communities.
Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) and Heart of Kent Hospice (HOKH) held the awards ceremony at the Town Hall where friends and family of the winners joined the celebrations to showcase the work they had done to help and support people in their community particularly the most vulnerable and isolated.
The second annual Compassionate Community Awards were launched in July and received a wide variety of nominations for the six categories which reflected the hard work of a vast number of people and organisations across the borough.
Presenting the awards at the event was the Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Fay Gooch who said:
“I have been so impressed and moved on hearing about some of the work that these wonderful people have done to help those in real need in their communities.“The Maidstone Compassionate Community Awards recognise some wonderful acts of kindness and shine a light on how people have given their own time and skills freely to support others. The nominations this year included some fantastic examples of how in times of crisis acts of kindness can make life a little more bearable for those that need help and are vulnerable or isolated.
“I was delighted to have been invited to present the awards to all of the very worthy winners and would like to congratulate each and every one of them for everything they have done and continue to do.”
The 2021 Compassionate Community Awards winners are:
- Compassionate workplace/business: Express Cabs Maidstone
- Compassionate Care/Residential Home: Eastfield Care Home
- Compassionate Neighbour/Volunteer: Sheila Burgman
- Compassionate School /Teacher - Carly Hayman – Tiny Treasures Pre-school
- Compassionate School/Teacher: Clare Kyte - Palace Wood Primary School
- Compassionate Young Person: Katie Jo Webb
- Compassionate Community: Staplehurst Emergency Help Team and Community Hub
The Compassionate Community Awards were introduced by MBC and Heart of Kent Hospice in conjunction with media partners, the Kent Messenger.