Community Champions 2018
Published: 17 December 2018
Holme Valley Parish Council was delighted to award our Community Champion Trophies for 2018 at their full Council meeting on Monday 17 December 2018. Chair, Cllr Di Hall, presented trophies to four individuals and one group to thank them for their selfless work in their local communities. They were nominated by Parish Councillors and we congratulate them all for their valued contribution in helping make the Holme Valley a great place to live. The recipients were Hugh Allen, Michael Henderson, Richard Ford, Honley Graveyard Clean-Up Group and Rowan Denton. More details of why each person / group was nominated accompanies each photo.
Hugh Allen:
Mr Allen is a fantastic asset to his community. As a keen environmentalist he goes above and beyond when cleaning up other people’s litter. Not only does he litter pick and help the cricket club with their disposal, but takes time to ensure that it is all separated into recyclable bags in their own categories. We are lucky to have people like Mr Allen, who take pride in our beautiful Valley and ensure it stays as kept and aesthetically pleasing as we all want it to be.
Honley Graveyard Clean-Up Group:
The group have been very active in getting stuck in and digging up and cutting out the vegetation that has overtaken the Honley graveyard. From the early hours and into the dark they have carried out a whole range of jobs to make the graveyard welcoming and presentable.
Weekly meet-ups and a few big pushes got the memorial top-end of the graveyard in good condition for last year's Remembrance Sunday, but the task is never ending and the group keep putting the work in to keep it in good condition.
Many people passing thank them for their efforts and the regular reports on facebook keep people up to date with progress, but it is fitting that their joint efforts are thanked and acknowledged by the whole community through this award.
Michael Henderson:
Michael Henderson can often be seen in Hade Edge helping to pick up litter. He's a distinctive figure, unable to walk without the aid of a stick, he overcomes significant health issues to play his part and ensure that the village stays smart. In recent months, Michael has very kindly donated funds to enable the village planters to be be replenished and he has a number of other plans that mean that the common land outside the Bay Horse remains attractive and welcoming to locals and those cyclists and walkers looking to rest awhile. Michael is a stalwart of the Hade Edge Action for Residents group HEAR and a most worthy recipient of a Community Champion Award.
Richard Ford:
Richard Ford moved to Huddersfield in 2002, where he became a Detective Constable in the police force. He was a keep fit enthusiast and an enthusiastic coach for his son’s football club at Hepworth United.
Two weeks after completing the Edinburgh marathon in 2012, Richard suffered a catastrophic stroke, leaving him unable to walk. Some of you may recall that DIY SOS came to help make Richard’s house wheelchair friendly.
With sheer determination he went on to start the “Square Peg” Group. Richard, along with “Square Peg” have recently done a disability access survey of Holmfirth and would like it to become a more accessible destination for people with disabilities and wheelchair users too. “Square Peg” group is open to everyone and reaches out to people who are lonely, those whose social interactions and outings are hampered by either a physical or learning disability, mental illness, anxiety and also to those who simply didn’t feel as though they ‘fit in’ to other social activities offered locally. The group now meets weekly and engage in activities such as table top games, boccia, quizzes and bingo as well as group trips out.
Rowan Denton:
Rowan Denton is a local sculptor who decided earlier in the year to paint the milestones in the valley. Many of these neglected stones at the side of roads across the valley had lost their paint and were almost invisible to passers-by. Rowan contacted the Milestone society to find the correct paint to use and then by crowdfunding in the local community, purchased enough paint to bring life back to dozens of stones. Local people have been incredibly supportive and helped locate and identify stones for him to paint. He is hoping to restore over 100 of these 19th century reminders of the past and he truly demonstrates how someone's care, interest and generosity can restore and celebrate our heritage in the Holme Valley.