Nominate your Person and Group of the Year 2021

WHITE Horse News’ Person and Group of the Year awards are back – and we need your nominations.

Westbury’s community spirit again shined brightly in 2021 as the Covid-19 pandemic continued, with so many people doing great things. And we’re looking for your nominations for the person and group who contributed most to the local community.

For the Person of the Year award you can nominate a friend, family member, community leader, colleague or even someone you don’t know – any person who lives or works in the Westbury area.   

For the Group of the Year award you can nominate a group, organisation, or committee – any group that does work in the Westbury area. Don’t worry if not everyone from the group comes from Westbury, what’s important is that the work of the group benefits the town in some way.  

The only conditions are that the person or group lives or works in Westbury or one of the surrounding villages and haven’t previously won one of the awards. 

Nominations must be received by 3pm on Wednesday 12th January and the winner of each award will be chosen by a panel of local representatives and announced in our next issue. 

Ian Drew, editor of White Horse News said, “This is a chance to nominate someone or a group who deserves recognition for their outstanding contribution to Westbury over the past year or who has had a big impact on life in the town. 

“There are so many people and groups doing fantastic work, more than ever during these difficult times, and these awards are a real opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge their efforts.” 

The Person of the Year award for 2020 was given to member of local campaign group, WGAG/No Westbury Incinerator, Dan Gmaj, for his part in the campaign to stop plans to build an incinerator in the town, and his other volunteering roles in the community. 

And the Group of the Year award for 2020 went to Open Westbury, which brought the community together to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic and help vulnerable residents and those feeling lonely or isolated with food, shopping, prescription pick-ups and deliveries, dog walking, and friendly phonecalls. 

Nominations can be made by emailing news@whitehorsenews.co.uk stating your name, address and contact number with your nominee’s name and why you are nominating them. (We won’t disclose who has made the nominations). If you have contact details for your nominee, please include these.  Or write to White Horse News, 31 Market Place, Melksham, SN12 6ES. 

Previous winners of the      Person of the Year award are: Westbury Rugby Club’s Gareth ‘Foggy’ Vaughan, for his work with the club over 25 years; on-call firefighter Jim Shaw; long-serving GP, Dr Debbie Beale; St John Ambulance volunteer, Lily Munday; former chair of both Westbury and District League of Friends and Sensible Thinking on Patients (STOP) Erica Watson; Sean Price, ex-town crier; Steve Lloyd, chair of Chernobyl Children’s Life Line; the late Dot Whitehead, for her role as Westbury’s Air Ambulance shop manager; funeral director, Arthur Mays who died in 2017; and Henry Leigh, the founder of the Belarussian Ray of Hope. 

The award for 2019 Group of the Year was given to Westbury Lions, for their fundraising for the community.