THE Mayor of Westbury, councillor Gordon King, hosted the Civic Awards last week and made presentations to four local people and organisations in recognition of their contribution to the town over the past year.
Civic Awards were presented to Westbury (French) Twinning Association, Sandra Pearce at Westbury Amateur Swimming Club, Terry Dowell for his work with the Cancer Research UK Westbury branch and Daphne Lyons for her work with Grassacres and other local groups.
The winner of the organisation award went to Westbury French Twinning Association for the organisation and management of the town’s relationship with Westbury’s twin town, Chateau Du Loir.
Deputy Mayor cllr Ian Cunningham paid tribute to the group saying, “They are the guardians and standard bearer of the town’s image and reputation, a responsibility they undertake with care and diligence, exercising careful diplomacy.
The town Civic Award was also given to Sandra Pearce for her work with Westbury Amateur Swimming Club.
Cllr Cunningham said, “Westbury has many clubs and societies. This club has been in existence for over a hundred years and this person is a member of a family who has had strong connections with their club for much of that period.
“They have carried on the family tradition begun by their grandparents and parents, who were leading members of the swimming and water polo teams in the past and have themselves swam for the club as well as the Wiltshire ASA, for many years.
“Nowadays they are still at the heart of the club, working at the Westbury Pool they have taught many hundreds of Westbury children to swim.
“They have not only overseen teaching the learners in the club for over 30 years, they are the competition secretary, selecting swimmers for galas and organising the club championships and the presentation of awards. They are at the heart of WASC and we would have trouble running the club without them.”
A well-know local volunteer, Terry Dowell, was presented with his Civic Award.
Cllr Cunningham said, “A town is judged by its volunteers who year in year out, are dedicated to raising funds and assisting the local and national communities.
“Terry has worked tirelessly over the past 25 years, always supported by his wife and the charity team members, with unfailing commitment, whether loading, unloading utensils, equipment etc. into his vehicle. For example, wet field boot sales, early morning catering for runs and marathons, for the Westbury Big Breakfast and all those other events which have raised thousands of pounds over the years.
“All the above requires a person with a cheerful spirit, 100% commitment, in other words a regular team performer. Therefore, for all of these reasons and many more too numerous to mention, we have given this award to Terry.”
The final recipient of a town Civic Award was Daphne Lyons.
Cllr Cunningham said, “This is a very special award, not least because it is given a second time to a very deserving person. If you like, this is a lifetime achievement. For more than 20 years she put others before herself, whether that is running the Grassacres centre, organising the luncheon clubs, helping older people understand finance, arranging holidays or cleaning and organising their homes.
“She has boundless energy and enthusiasm and never lets a difficult situation get her down.
“It is not just the elderly. She has also a great love for children and young people and helped Graham Warmington and others run a children’s group at West End Baptist Church for a number of years.
“A Londoner by birth, she adopted Westbury into her heart and has given it great service up to her own retirement last year.”
