Stowmarket’s unsung heroes and inspiring individuals were celebrated on Friday night with 12 awards given out to people, businesses and charities for their contributions to the local community.
The evening, organised by Stowmarket Town Council, and held at the John Peel Centre, championed local people doing extraordinary things. Alex Harrison was awarded Sportsperson of the Year for his astounding achievements as a triathlete with Team GB. Alex has competed in many parts of the world including Canada, Spain, Switzerland and Russia. In June 2022, he competed in the World Championships in Montreal, coming seventh in his category and finishing second as part of Team GB’s mixed relay team. In August, he competed in the European Athletics Championship in Munich coming seventh in the 20–24 age group sprint, and 10th overall.
Bonitas Wholefoods, an eco-friendly food and lifestyle shop established in 2021 by Tree and Ollie Walters, was a welcome addition to the Stowmarket high street and has been keenly supported by those near and far. Their success, community spirit and commitment to their vision has seen them awarded Local Business of the Year beating off competition from long-standing national and international businesses based in Stowmarket.
Perhaps the most coveted award of the night, the Pride of Stowmarket, went to veteran volunteer Keith Shelton. Keith has provided thousands of hours of voluntary support at The Mix, coaching secondary school children, acting as a mentor as part of the Greenlights programme and volunteering for the annual Crucial Crew event. Keith is also a Committee Member of Stowmarket U3A, a group for those who are retired or semi-retired and love learning new things. Amongst other things, Keith leads a walk and talk group, a history group and organises the programme of U3A guest speakers.
Mayor Barry Salmon concluded the night by reflecting on the awards as “an amazing celebration of the community spirit in Stowmarket”, congratulating all the nominees and winners.
2022 award winners
Young Person of the Year Award – Poppy Bingham
sponsored by
Teacher (or Youth Leader/Coach) of the Year Award – Brett Rookyard
sponsored by
Caring for People Award – Amanda Carr
sponsored by
Community Hero of the Year Award – Dave Thomas
sponsored by
Sportsperson / Team of the Year Award – Alex Harrison
sponsored by
Environment & Heritage Champion of the Year Award – Colin Lay
sponsored by
Local Business of the Year Award – Bonitas Wholefoods
sponsored by
Service with a Smile Award – Dan Trent
sponsored by
Volunteer of the Year Award – Fiona Palmer
sponsored by
Pride of Stowmarket Award – Keith Shelton
sponsored by
The Stowmarket Award – WeCan@TheJunction
sponsored by
Special Achievement Award – Michelle Frost
sponsored by
