The Champions Awards 2021: the winners

The Sustainable Sidmouth Champions Awards 2021 were announced at the Awards ceremony on Friday 22nd October.

Firstly, there were the winners and runners-up as chosen by the panel of judges, made up of Cllr Chris Lockyear, STC Vice Chair; Professor Brian Golding, represented at the Awards ceremony by Richard Eley, President of the Chamber of Commerce; and Chris Woodruff, Manager of the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

  • Community Award Winner: Di Fuller (Sid Valley Help)
  • Community Award Runner Up: Woolbrook News
  • Resilience Award Winner: Kyle Baker Photography
  • Resilience Award Runner Up: Sidmouth Primary School
  • Sustainability Award Winner: Sidmouth Plastic Warriors
  • Sustainability Award Runner Up: Fillfull Shop, Sidmouth

Because of the many excellent nominations received, the Vision Group decided to make some additional awards, which are:

  • Chairman’s Award: Sidmouth Voluntary Services
  • Highly Commended: Sid Valley Practice
  • Special Mention: Thomas Franklin

VGS Chair Peter says, “The response to the Champions Awards far exceeded our expectations, and showed the enthusiasm throughout our community for recognising the major role volunteers played during lockdown, to keep the wheels turning on so many new fronts.”

Peter Murphy, chair of the Vision Group for Sidmouth, presents the Chairman’s Award to Frances Newth, president of Sidmouth Voluntary Services. Photo credit: Tony Spooner ARPS, President of Sidmouth Photographic Society

The Champions Awards 2021: “and the winners are…” – Sustainable Sidmouth Champion Awards

The Herald followed this up with a full article:

Outpouring of gratitude to winners of Champion awards

‘Amazing’, ‘outstanding’ and ‘an absolute lifesaver’ were among the words used to describe the recipients of the Vision Group for Sidmouth’s Champions Awards. 

Following last week’s announcement of the winners, the group have released extracts from the written nominations used by the judges to choose the people who had ‘helped Sidmouth pull through the pandemic’. 

Ron and Theresa Loynd, Woolbrook News, runners-up for Community award – Credit: Tony Spooner ARPS

Runner-up Woolbrook News, which set up a simple phone ordering and delivery service for basic groceries during the lockdowns, was also praised: “They have been an absolute lifesaver, nothing was too much bother for them, they would even get supplies from other shops if they didn’t have it in.”

The Champions Awards 2021: Congratulations! – Sustainable Sidmouth Champion Awards

There really was an ‘outpouring of gratitude’ at the Awards event:

The Champions Awards 2021: “Thanks to everybody” – Sustainable Sidmouth Champion Awards

Finally, here’s the list of all those who were nominated:

The Champions Awards 2021: the full and final list – Sustainable Sidmouth Champion Awards