More than 170 people came together on Saturday 2nd October to celebrate the first ever Torfaen Community & Volunteer Awards at Pontypool Active Living Centre.
The awards ceremony was officially opened by The Lord-Lieutenant of Gwent, Brigadier Robert Aitken CBE and was hosted by Welsh sports broadcaster, Sean Holley, and TVA’s own broadcaster, Patrick Downes.
Scooping Young Volunteer of the Year award was 11-year-old Bryony Powell after supporting many projects across Torfaen. Bryony’s biggest achievement was helping to provide 150 Wellbeing packs to vulnerable families in Blaenavon during lockdown.
Adult Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Janette Smith, aged 82, in part for dedicating over 15 years of her life to improve the lives of others from the local area. Jan has been a key figure as a member of Hafod Community group.
Other winners included:
- Daniel Crandon – Trustee of the Year
- Volunteer Caseworkers of Disability Advice Project – The Heart of the Community Award
- Chris Partridge – Environmental Volunteer of the Year
- Chloe Goddard – Personal Journey
- Sabrina Cresswell – COVID-19 Response Volunteer (Heroes)
- Age Connects Torfaen – Business of the Year
- Matt Cummins – Sports Volunteer of the Year
- Allan Hiatt – Health Volunteer of the Year
More than 100 nominations were put forward for the awards, across 10 categories.
22 local businesses also provided sponsorship to make the awards a truly unforgettable celebration of the unsung heroes of Torfaen.
Torfaen Voluntary Alliance’s Operational Executive Officer Aimi Morris said,
“We were honoured to have with us dignitaries who supported our celebration, the Lord-Lieutenant of Gwent, the Gwent High Sheriff, and Lynne Neagle MS, who gave up their time to bring together this celebration.
The night was a way of saying a big thank you to all our finalists, not forgetting all those who were nominated – everyone is a worthy winner.
Whether it was helping provide for the homeless, making sure the youth in Torfaen have proper mentors, volunteering in schools, or keeping arts and our history alive in our communities, they have all made a huge difference. We can’t wait to start planning 2022!”
Councillor Fiona Cross, Torfaen Executive Member for Children, Families and Communities, said, “It was a pleasure to attend the first of its kind volunteer awards ceremony in Torfaen. So many heart-warming stories showing how individuals and groups had gone above and beyond during the pandemic to help others.
A huge congratulations to all those recognised for an award and lets all look forward to a brighter 2022. Well done to TVA and all the partners involved who made this event a fantastic celebration of volunteering in Torfaen ”.
For a full list of the winners and to find out more information about the awards, visit www.tvawales.org.uk/volunteer-awards
