UNSUNG heroes from the worlds of sport, business, environment, arts, community and education were celebrated at the Mayor’s Ball and Civic Awards 2024.
The event - which had a 1940s theme to tie in with the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings - took place at the Copthorne Hotel, Brierley Hill, on April 19.
The evening raised thousands of pounds for Dudley Community First Responders, Prostate Cancer UK, Mary Stevens Hospice and Ups & Downs.
The winner of the William Shenstone award for environment went to Lloyd Stacey for playing a leading role in the establishment of Riverside House along the Stourbridge canal.
Hannah Picken, of Wild Earth Movement, took the runner-up award for her work with schools, colleges and businesses to encourage people to be environmentally conscious.
Youth worker David Jukes won the Thomas Attwood Award for Education for his work in the community, and weekly bike club which teaches road safety and helps with fitness for kids and their parents. Judith Morris – who has given more than 60 years service to St John Ambulance teaching youngsters first aid - was runner-up.
The Duncan Edwards Award for Sport went to professional boxer Ben Collins. Fighting out of a gym in Brierley Hill, he has been an inspiration to youngsters and led a campaign to secure funding to supply free fruit at the gym. Martin Searle, who overcame an organ transplant to continue taking part in sport - encouraging others to do so, was runner-up.
Karen Fielder, chief executive of The Connect Project, was won the Mike Holder Award for Business. The group runs foodbanks and goes into homes offering advice and support on topics from debts to learning new skills. Jemma Cooke, landlady of The Cabin pub, Sedgley, was runner-up.
The Cedric Hardwicke Award for Arts went to Alan Birch for establishing the Black Country Horror Shorts Film Festival and putting Stourbridge on the international map.
Jeanette Greenaway, still singing and dancing well into her 70s after performing with am dram group Startime Variety for more than 50 years, was runner-up.
Dudley College photography lecturer and charity fundraiser Phil Brooks won the Frank Foley Award for Community Spirit. He has led students and staff on mountain climbs and raised thousands for the charity Ronnie & Friends to help bereaved parents.
Aimee Garratt, who overcame the tragic loss of a child to set up the charity, was runner-up.
The Mayor’s Award was won by pensioner Donald Jones.
The 90-year-old has dedicated his life to community service in Halesowen through the Scouts, Age Concern, Mind, the Sons of Rest and his church. He has even completed two trips to Romania to take essential supplies.
Isabelle Wilkins was the inaugural winner of the YOU West Midlands Youth Award, set up to recognise young people in honour of Ben Corfield, a community volunteer who died in 2022, aged just 19.
Isabelle, of the 1st Brierley Hill Guides and a carer to her younger brother and her father, was presented with the award by Richard Boot OBE, deputy lieutenant of the West Midlands.
Kevin O’Keefe, Dudley Council's chief executive, said: "These people do tireless work, often for little financial reward, to improve the lives of people around them.
"I was really pleased to meet some of them on the night and find out more about what they do."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here