THE SEARCH IS ON!
The search is on once again for nominations for awards to be presented by the Town Mayor at the Annual Reception as part of the Town Regatta & Festival in June. The Town Council are looking for nominations for Sports Personality Award, Community Award and a new award this year, the Cultural Award.
The sporting award is open to anyone of any age who has had notable achievements in their chosen sport. Nominees can be players, or someone who takes part in another way, such as coaching.
The community award seeks to recognise a member of the community who freely gives of their time for the benefit of the Marlow community.
The cultural award is to recognise an individual who has enhanced the cultural and artistic life in Marlow in areas such as music, drama, dance, art, crafts, photographic and digital imaging, film sculpture or design. They may be involved as a practitioner, teacher or organiser.
If you know of anyone you would like to nominate, please contact Jan Bailey at Marlow Town Council on 01628 484024 or email jan@marlow-tc.gov.uk. A list of achievements and a description, in no more than 200 words, why you think the nominee deserves to win one of the awards. All nominees must live in Marlow.
Last year's winners
l - r: John Chapman, Community Award, Glynis Simons, Mayor's Award and David Hillier, Sports Personality Award. Please note the Mayor's Award is the Mayor's personal choice.
MAYOR'S ANNUAL RECEPTION 2012
The Town Mayor had put her order in for good weather in time for her Annual Reception which was duly fulfilled! Over 140 people arrived at Court Garden House on Saturday 9th June for the Mayor’s Reception. Town Mayor, Cllr Jocelyn Towns, who had been re-elected to be Mayor for another year, greeted her invited guests in the General Higginson Room for pre-lunch drinks.
Among the guests were chairmen and representatives from local group, clubs and organisations together with the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Mr Alexander Boswell, the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, Mrs Carolyn Cumming together with Mayors from Beaconsfield, High Wycombe, Amersham, Aylesbury, Deputy Mayor of Henley and the Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of Hungary, Ms Eszter Pataki and Deputy Mayor from Marly-le-Roi, Mr Benoit Burgaud
Her guests were then invited to continue the Reception in the Shelley Theatre with a seated buffet lunch where the red, white and blue theme of the previous Jubilee Weekend was continued.
The Town Mayor welcomed her guests and then moved on to the presentation of Awards. The first award was for the Sports Personality 2012 and she was delighted to announce that David Hillier was the recipient. He is a very valued member of the Marlow Cricket Club, specifically the coaching team. David is a talented cricketer and his leadership potential shone through in the Colts teams. He has always been a great motivator of his team with well- prepared pre-match speeches. See below for a more detailed accounht of his achievements.
The Community Award was next and was awarded to John Chapman. John has been a major part of the Marlow Community for many years by being involved with the Royal British Legion, Chamber of Trade and Commerce, the Marlow International Regatta for 25 years and is now their President and the list goes on. The Mayor stated that “he had been an inspiration to many and has given so much of his time to the Community and in fact if you added it all up, he has given us 164 years of his time.” The Mayor presented John with a crystal decanter.
The Mayor then went on to announce a new Award – The Mayor’s Award. She said that she had introduced this Award to honour someone whose activities are directed towards supporting and developing young people in our Town. She revealed the Award was to go to Glynis Simons. Glynis has given her time to the support of the 1st Marlow Brownies as Brown Owl, known as Barney, since 2000 when she stepped in as leader to save the pack from closing. The pack now has over 100 Brownies.
Glynis is also the District Commissioner for Marlow and responsible for the leaders of all Brownie and Guide groups in the District. She arranges numerous activities, including Pack Holidays and Camps and is responsible for organising all the packs attendance at the Remembrance Day Parade here in Marlow in November. Rather adventurously she took part in a Brownie Development Training initiative in the Arctic Circle, surviving temperatures of minus 420 C! Although officially retiring in July, she will no doubt continue to be heavily involved with the Brownies.
The Mayor’s Charity for last year was the Marlow Sports Club and she had held various functions to raise funds for them – a Charity Dinner and Charity Golf Day. She called upon John Fordham, Chairman of Marlow Sports Club and Roger Dye, Trustee of the Club to join her on the podium to receive a cheque as a result of that fundraising. She was delighted to present them with a cheque for £13,557.00! This is a record amount for any Mayor to have raised as a result of their fundraising activities during their mayoral year. Congratulations!
Another first – The Mayor is to set up a Mayor’s Charity Fund for three local charities to which she will commit funds for special projects. These are the Marlow Youth Club, who are taking over the lease from the County Council and are currently applying for charity status, The Lighthouse charity, which is run by volunteers and organised under the auspices of Churches Together in Marlow, and is open to all children regardless of religion, race or social status and Marlow Sea Cadets, whose objective is to develop young people to attain their full potential and focus on leadership skills and to develop a caring attitude towards others and the environment.
The fund has got off to a flying start with £600 being donated by guests at the Reception.
If you know someone who you feel should be nominated for the Sports Award 2013, please do get in contact with Marlow Town Council anytime between now and February 2013.
A selection of photograph are now uploaded to the gallery. Click here
David Hillier - Sports Personality 2012
At 18 years of age David has become a much valued part of the cricket coaching team for Marlow Cricket Club. He has qualified as an ECB level 2 cricket coach and regularly turns out to help run the cricket sessions for young people of Marlow town. The Club run sessions for 200+ junior cricketers aged 7 to 17 throughout the summer, and most nights of the week David will be on hand coaching for the Club.
David has been part of Marlow Cricket club since he was first born, and Graeme Paskins of Marlow Cricket Club remember him supporting his first club event when only a few weeks old. As a talented cricketer, David has played for the colts through all age groups and has also represented the district. His leadership potential shone through in the colts teams he played for, regularly chosen to captain at his age group at club and district. Never shy to say a few words, David has always been great value in motivating his teams with a well prepared pre match speech.
Over the last two years David has developed into a very capable cricket coach. His strengths include strong communication skills, enthusiasm, and a natural ability to get young people to listen and learn. David is someone who can becompletely relied on to plan for and carry out the Club's coaching duties.
He has a maturity well above his years, and a sense of community that is rare in one so young. In 2011 David made a wonderful speech at the mayor's charity fund raising dinner, which showed his community spirit and confident public speaking abilities.
As a talented young sportsman David is a very special young man who naturally thinks and acts to help the community around him. David thoroughly deserves our Town's recognition.