On Thursday 11 May 2023, the BCP Council celebrated its second Chair’s Community Awards which recognise community organisations and individual volunteers who make a huge contribution to our lives across the conurbation. 

This year, we received a total of 80 nominations for seven different categories. The judging panel decided to award more than a winner per category along with special mentions and commendations for residents and community groups.   

The winners and commended members for the Chair’s Community Awards 2023 are:  

Contribution to the Environment: 

• Jeff Coombs, Winner 
• Nick Dobbs, Winner 
• Lucie Allen, Commended 
• Dot Donworth, Special mention 

Contribution to Sports: 

• Emily Greenwood and Debra Cohen, Joint Winner 
• Mike Fowler, Winner 

Young Citizen of the Year: 

• Ash Folgate, Winner 
• Josh Muzura, Winner 

Good neighbour: 

• Anthony Agwagah, Winner 
• Paula Street and Avril Jackson, Joint Winner 

Contribution to Wellbeing: 

• Charmaine Beckles, Winner 
• Cherry Tree Nursery, Winner

Contribution to Arts & Culture: 

• Getting Poetical, Winner 
• Natalie Pearl, Winner 
• Wordmakers & Silence Breakers, Commended 

Contribution to the Community: 

• Dot Pickett, Winner 
• ‘Pat’ Talbot, Winner 
• Inara Project, Winner 

Commended community groups: 

• Igbo Community 
• Dorset Ukrainian Community 
• Kushti Bok 
• BPC Indian Association 
• Nuestra Escuela BCP 

Former Chairman of the Council and Community Awards panel member, Nigel Hedges said: 

“I recognise how much BCP Council needs to engage with all our communities, our charities, our incredible and incredibly large bank of volunteers across our three Towns and how much they do to make people enjoy a better life, to receive solace and support, for common humanity and love to reach some of the darkest corners of life’s vicissitudes and challenges. 

The Awards were an attempt to ensure that so many unsung heroes are…sung!” 

Graham Farrant, Chief Executive of the BCP Council, who attended the event and also celebrated the fantastic achievements of BCP’s communities shared: 

“It was a great experience to see how many dedicated volunteers we have working across the communities in the BCP area to support others.  And these are just the tip of the iceberg, the best of the best, all working so enthusiastically to ensure that other people get more out of their lives.  I want to congratulate the winners, but also to ask them all to keep on doing what they are doing as they are changing people’s lives!”   

The BCP Council look forward to continuing celebrating and acknowledging the fantastic work that residents and groups are doing to make of our conurbation a creative, diverse and inclusive community.