Unsung Heroes: Your chance to vote for Wakefield's best and brightest community heroes in annual awards

Supported by the Express, the Community Foundation are offering people the chance to vote for their local heroes in two categories: volunteers and key workers.

There are ten nominees in each category, each recognised for their impressive contribution to their local community during the pandemic.

David Dinmore, Chairman of the Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees said: “Community activity across the district plays an essential part in the life of this area, and never more so than during the extraordinary times we are living in at the moment.

“This year we particularly wanted to recognise the thousands of key workers who have continued to play their part, without thought for their own safety, in delivering essential services during the pandemic.”

Find out more about each of the nominees, and how to vote, below.

The winner for each category will be announced in a virtual ceremony just before Christmas.

Key workers

Grant Maconachie

Grant and his team of local volunteers have worked tirelessly for those most in need within Crigglestone during lockdown. They received donations, made healthy wholesome nutritious meals & delivered them to those in need.

They accepted book donations to share with the community to help keep people entertained. From his garage he opened the Spread Equal ‘pub’ where, at a safe social distance, you could drink a local brewed ale and make a donation which enabled him to buy food for the vulnerable.

Amber Bhatti

Amber and her team of volunteers at West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service went out of their way to ensure that vulnerable people and families didn’t go without the medical support they required.

She and her team provided outstanding service to numerous families, individuals and those most vulnerable through the delivery of medication, food and transportation of GP’s to non Covid-19 patients across the district. Only usually working one day a week, Amber went out of her way to cover weekends, evenings and any day that the team might be short.

Anna Natasha Howard

Through her Wakefield Street Kitchen, Anna has supplied hot meals to the homeless throughout the pandemic. Following the implementation of Covid-19 restrictions and lockdown she has worked tirelessly along with her team providing hot meals for upwards of 90 people on a weekly basis.

All food is obtained via donations from various supermarkets and other companies across the Wakefield district. Anna is a remarkable woman and she and her team should be recognised for their selfless work throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sabrina Archbold

Sabrina is a full-time wheelchair user and has spent the last 25 years supporting the families of disabled children/adults. However, over this long Covid-19 period she has gone above and beyond, and has ensured that families have been able to access support for food and mental health services.

She has helped provide 216 families with a picnic and toy parcels as many of the families have children who suffer with mental health issues. She is also working on an educational tool for use in schools.

Christine Hinkley

Christine is a health care worker at Pinderfields Hospital and well past retirement age. She still goes to work and devotes her time to helping others. She is an absolute star!

Amy Barlow

Amy and the teaching assistants at Camphill Wakefield work with some of the most vulnerable young adults in this area. Some have worked throughout lockdowns with very limited PPE.

They have and use wonderful humour to encourage and support their young adults. They work in difficult circumstances at times to ensure that all the young people in their care have the opportunities to succeed.

Jenna Fan

When lockdown was announced many mums/dads were left with no child care and had to work at home. Not easy with young children.

Jenna decided that she would start to broadcast a singing programme, roped in her three small children, organised a social media advertising campaign and so was born the DAILY half hour of song. She continued to create and deliver these programmes throughout the summer which became vital for many mums and dads as they struggled at home.

Leanne Warren

Leanne has 2 jobs – looking after young people and providing art therapy for these who need sustained, regular help throughout lockdown.

Leanne created new virtual platforms to suit each individuals’ IT capabilities, and sourced and dropped off the materials they needed outside their homes. In July – realising the impact isolation was having in addition on mental health needs - Leanne re-started 1:1 physical sessions. Without her support some people would not be alive today.

Clare Kelly

Clare Kelly is the head teacher at the Dane Royd Junior & Infants school in Crigglestone. The pandemic has caused her extraordinary stresses and strains and she’s had to respond to ever changing and last-minute guidance which has stretched her to her limits at times.

She’s amazing to have kept on going, working every evening through her weekends and holidays to keep her staff, children and families safe because she really cares. She’s totally awesome and has gone above and beyond and then even further!!

Jane Button-Hardman

Jane is one of 42 West Yorkshire Police Special Constables working within the Wakefield Metropolitan District (292 across the whole of West Yorkshire). When lockdown was announced Special Constables were placed on enhanced mobilisation to support and deliver policing amongst our communities.

They play a vital role in helping to make people feel safe and during the pandemic they have contributed well in excess of their duty hours.

Volunteers

Jan Lawrence

Jan Lawrence is the creator of the Knottingley Christmas walk event. Last year he used £600 of his own money and held the first event for the community and made sure this cost residents nothing. He decorated the local quarry and called on friends to have stalls and to dress up as the grinch etc.

He ensured every child got treats and it cost the community nothing. He held it again this year and called on partner agencies to help. He spent over 6 months organising this in his own time whilst running a business and clearly shows the love for his community.

Timothy Felkin

3 years ago, Tim started a local community junior football club, Wakefield OWLS (Outwood, Wrenthorpe, Lofthouse, Stanley). Established in 2017 it has grown from a handful of players to 120+. It is the fastest growing local club offering boys and girls aged 6-16 the chance to play regular football in the following age groups: u7, u8, u9, u10, u11, u13, u14.

The club was formed to provide a safe, fun and friendly environment for children from the local community. All the coaches, managers and committee members are volunteers from the local community.

Graham & Jan Woodrow

Alongside being active Front of House volunteers at Theatre Royal Wakefield, Graham and Jan have ensured Asylum Seekers and Refugees (AS&R) feel welcome and settled in Wakefield. They have worked with the theatre to set up a regular conversation cafe, increasing English language skills.

Jan has supported female AS&R in Raise Your Voice. Their commitment as volunteers is a key part of the Theatre Royal being awarded Theatre of Sanctuary Status. They have also helped AS&R in writing CVs, preparing for interviews, settling into new accommodation, gathering dual-language reading material and collecting clothing and household items.

Lyndsay Stansfield

Lyndsay has worked tirelessly to raise £20,000 for people in the community who need a little bit of extra support. Cheesecake making, bun and cake sales, raffles, bingo and afternoon tea have been some of the things she has organised. Lyndsay helps people who are most in need.

She helped a mum raise money for her 13-year old daughter’s funeral after she took her own life. She has raised money for people with cancer who need specialist treatment, she also raises money for the Air Ambulance, Dementia care, Bluebell Wood Hospice, Pinderfields Neonatal unit and many more.

Darren Ball

Darren should really change his name to Above and Beyond. On top of his 40 hours paid work in Trinity Walk customer services team, Darren has undertaken countless hours of volunteering. Thanks to Darren the onsite team and retailers at Trinity Walk undergo training which, in turn, provide a better service to all their customers and the wider community.

Training includes mental health work with the Samaritans, working with Beat Autism to ensure that Trinity is an inclusive centre for all and providing people with a better understanding of the implications of Alzheimer’s.

Neil, Vicky, Alison & Kate

They are all volunteers and put huge effort into running Brickhouse Youth Club, the only youth club in Ossett. They work hard to have varied activities that keep teenagers coming back week after week. Not only is it a youth club, but a must needed resource for the community.

They offer a safe haven for many disadvantaged and disengaged youngsters. On a practical level, they supply hot snacks to many who would not get anything at home and all this is offered with a friendly face and a sense of fun. They receive no council support.

Margaret Whittaker

Margaret has spent a lifetime in voluntary work in the area. She founded a self-help depression group, Sunshine and Showers, approximately seven years ago which has helped many people and enabled them to have a safe place.

Margaret has been a Trustee for Wakefield & District Community Health Charity based on Peterson Road for many years and has searched out many small organisations in order to help them. Margaret has carried out a major piece of research in order to see where best the Charity can help rough sleepers and the homeless in the area.

Roy & Margaret Mitchell

Roy and Margaret have done so much to inspire older people in Wrenthorpe. Both of them are key members of the Community Association which runs two community halls in the village. It is a real privilege to know them.

They have also started the very popular indoor bowls club and the Village Singers, and were involved at the start of the award-winning ukulele club as well as helping regularly at the community cafe. Roy is chairman of Wakefield Probus and has organised trips for their members.

Adam Stokes

Adam has been volunteering for Open Country since 2017. Despite his learning disability, visual impairment and ongoing mental health issues, he is an active and passionate volunteer for the charity. He volunteers throughout the year at public events, with fundraising and producing our Countryside Directories.

He is a respected member of the Wakefield community after many years of helping with the Health Cafe scheme, Forest Schools and more recently Wakefield Recovery College. He is a familiar face and loved by many for his outgoing personality, sense of humour and unfailing ability to brighten everyone’s day.

Zoe Gaitley

Zoe Gaitley is the chair of the Smawthorne Welfare Action Team (SWAT) and has been instrumental in improving the local park. Memorial and sensory gardens have been created, and in collaboration with the local primary school, bulbs, trees and a wildflower garden have been planted.

Her crowning achievement, however, is the installation of a brand-new, state-of-the-art playground! Zoe epitomises dedication to the community in which she lives and works, giving endless time for community events and has achieved successful bids and fundraising amounting to over £100,000.

How to Vote

Email your choice for each category, along with your name and address, to [email protected]

Alternatively, voting forms for the Volunteers can be found in this week's Wakefield Express and Pontefract and Castleford Express.

You can fill in the coupon and send it to: Community Foundation Wakefield District, PO Box 695, 13 Upper York Street, Wakefield WF1 9NW.

The deadline for all votes to be recieved is noon on Friday, December 18.