Crawley Community Awards shines spotlight on the wonderful spirit of our town

More than 400 nominations were received reflecting Crawley’s strong community spirit. 500 tickets had been issued and there were to be performances by ((Bounce)) and Urban City Dance. Representatives from headline sponsor London Gatwick Airport and category sponsors along with Crawley borough councillors, and community leaders were attending to pay tribute to the winners and nominees who would be in the audience along with friends, family and supporters. The work, achievements, efforts and selflessness of all our winners is a source of great pride and while we may be unable to hold an Awards Presentation Evening this year, we can still recognise and celebrate many of those who contribute so much to our community.

Plans are being made for the 2021 Crawley Community Awards which is scheduled for June. Updates can be found on the event website https://crawleycommunityawards.org/Compere Duff Eynon recorded a series of video clips in an empty Hawth Studio which can be viewed on the Crawley Borough Council YouTube Channel on this link https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7HxDX-2zyVaN7Y_bbyv-IN69Cn8sCLHW

The winners of the 2020 Crawley Community Awards are:

1. FUNDRAISER

Sponsored by London Gatwick Airport

Winner – Patrick McIntosh, St. Catherine’s Hospice

Patrick is a sixty-two-year old triple cancer survivor, who took on the extraordinary challenge of cycling from Twickenham to Tokyo to help raise money for St Catherine’s new hospice at Pease Pottage. Four months, 7,200 miles and eight countries later, Patrick timed his journey perfectly to arrive in Japan two days before the start of the Rugby World Cup.

Battling potholes in Russia, the theft of his bike, language barriers and some brutal weather, Patrick never gave up and has raised more than £110,000

And Patrick isn’t finished yet! This year, he’ll continue his fundraising by cycling across the USA, Iceland and the UK to complete his round the world trip, raising more money to support St Catherine’s.

2. COMMUNITY GROUP

Sponsored by Metrobus

Winner – Crawley Town Community Foundation

Established in 2010, the Foundation is using the power of sport and football to engage, inspire and empower people in Crawley and the surrounding areas.

Working with participants together with local, regional and national partners, the Foundation aims to positively change lives and provide support across our community. Their areas of operation are in health & wellbeing, education, employment and skills, equalities and inclusion, regeneration & community safety.

Their Move The Goalposts project is a football and personal skills programme for those experiencing mental health difficulties while the Crawley Flyers sessions offer people with a variety of disabilities the opportunity to play football in an inclusive and relaxed environment.

3. ENVIRONMENT

Winner – Thomas Simpson

Tom is Volunteering Coordinator for the Gatwick Greenspace Partnership, which works with the Sussex Wildlife Trust. He leads a range of groups around Crawley and Horley in conservation works and rebuilding footpaths and bridges for public access of our beautiful area woodlands.

He does a huge amount of conservation work in the area and supports loads of community groups. He freely shares his knowledge with the groups and works to ensure the safety of everyone on his sites. He was nominated by Linda Mortimer who said “Tom is an amazing human being and deserves to be recognised for using his skills and his passion for the betterment of his community”.

4. INSPIRATION

Sponsored by Arora Hotel Crawley/Gatwick

Winner – Graham Cridland

In 2004 Graham established the West Sussex and Surrey Angling Academy. The purpose was to use fishing as a tool to help troubled and disadvantaged students to either remain in school, find employment or reintegrate as valued members of the community. While Graham covers much of the cost of running these courses through fundraising, he has also contributed many thousands of pounds of his own money. Graham has recently extended his work to support members of the armed forces and their families to aid their recovery and rehabilitation. In May the Academy opened an Armed Forces, Veterans & Blue Lights Breakfast Club.

Retired Brigadier Alan Davies who nominated Graham said that his dedication is beyond all expectation.

5. SPORTS TEAM

Sponsored by the Crawley Observer

Winner – Crawley Parkour

Crawley Parkour are the first indoor Parkour gym in the South East. It is run by a small group of young people who put their hearts and souls into this relatively new venture. The sport is suitable for all abilities, is non-competitive and helps promote self confidence in a safe environment.

The group have taught a range of ages from three through to sixty-five, with a focus on trying to get people active and happy with their exercise regime. They provide fun and safe coaching sessions for schools, youth clubs and scout groups. Their membership includes those with disabilities and from minority groups, strengthening community spirit and cohesion.

6. SPORTS PERSON

Sponsored by Everyone Active, K2 Crawley.

Winner – Karl Youngman

Karl’s goal has been to get as many younger children as possible engaged and participating with basketball. The Storm Basketball Foundation has brought basketball to 22 of the 23 primary schools in Crawley and to 6 of the 7 secondary schools.

The Storm Basketball sessions have been delivered to over 1000 children on a weekly basis. Individual leagues have been established for different year groups including one of the first nationally for years two to four.

7. PERFORMING ARTS

Sponsored by Parkwood Theatres, the Hawth

Winner – Louise Ryrie

The Louise Ryrie School of Dance and Drama provides classes for all ages from toddlers through to adults. One class member who nominated the school said “I am a seventy-four year old student of The Louise Ryrie School Of Dance & Drama in Crawley. I strongly recommend this school for a Crawley Community Award. Louise has great patience with the older dance students. She makes the class very interesting and lively and we always look forward to the next lesson.

The school also arranges Tea Parties and Coffee Mornings during the year free of charge to encourage the generations to mix and help alleviate the loneliness experienced by many of its elderly neighbours.

8. SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Winner – Robert Groves