2020

Al has been a total star throughout this strange and challenging year, so says his nominators Cherry Bartles-Smith and her husband Peter. Al runs Cafe Noir at the station and Tennis Club. Al has made himself the heart of the Thames Ditton community for many people. He's worked to keep the village in coffee during lockdown and beyond. I see every week at the Cricket club – where he decamped from the station creating a community hub in the process - it's my treat, ….my husband sees him every day!! “He always has a smile and a kind word. Lovely man!”

His cafe has become a place for people from across the community to go for a lovely welcome from Al and a chat. Al's warmth improves everyone’s day when they visit and is a haven from everything going on.

Adam Mack who also nominated Al says, “I won’t be the only person to nominate Al - he has been a consistent ray of sunshine during what has been a shockingly thunderous year; ‘he doesn’t just sell coffee, he peddles happiness’!”

Congratulations Al and thank you for being such a great support for our local community. A worthy Award winner!

During lockdown Alan ran a quiz for his neighbours in Thames Ditton, spending hours compiling questions and each Saturday he would telephone people on his landline (no zoom, internet!) and would run the quiz. He ran it for 3 months with a winner each month. Congratulations Alan a worthy winner. Thank you!

Nominated by fifteen people; Natasha Beer, Claire Appleyard, Rachel Shilson, Hannah Richards, Elizabeth Budgett, Mollie Bishop, Caroline O'Driscoll, Jane Poynton, Steve Allkins, Karen Jackson, Anna Colclough, Jason Corps, Jamie Beer, Andrew Atkinson, Barnaby Pinner! The message was pretty consistent!

Becca work tirelessly and selflessly as a palliative care nurse within our community often staying longer than she should to care for someone in the final hours of their life.

Becca is so thoughtful, empathetic and kind. We live on the same road and there are so many occasions she has helped us out and gone above and beyond to make sure we are ok. Nothing is too much trouble.

She has selflessly helped others, especially in the times of COVID and wouldn’t think anything of it. Becca is an amazing person and feel should be recognised for her community spirit and support for the community.

Her caring nature, empathy and dedication to providing the best service she can is beyond admirable.

Becca should be commended for her tireless work for local people who are choosing to die at home or are placed into her care at the Princess Alice hospice Esher also her work for Marie curie in Ealing.

Becca would be a worthy winner...

Rebecca works at the process Alice hospice in Esher and is a palliative nurse, she has worked tirelessly during this pandemic to comfort and support those people in their last few days.

She does so much great work in Thames Ditton

She is an absolute superstar and nothing is too much for her

She is a gentle person who speaks kindly of everyone she knows and meets. She definitely deserves to be recognised in the TD community.

Receiving multiple nominations including from Julia Hickman, Tracey Winborn and their daughters Alice and Henrietta (who know better than most just how much time and effort their parents put in to supporting our Village Community!). The list of their achievements go on and on, including; organising the Thames Ditton High Street Christmas Lights, their work on Thames Ditton Station for Thames Ditton in Bloom. Supporting the Farmers' Market at its new location with set up and organisation. Will is Chairman of the Thames Ditton Conservation Committee and is responsible for the bulb planting around the village. Organiser of the Thames Ditton Boomerang Bag project, supplying sustainable bags to nine shops in Thames Ditton to reduce the number of single use plastic bag circulating in the community. This year, due to COVID, turned to making face masks out of donated fabric and supplying the local schools and community groups. Tricia has also found time to work with the East Elmbridge Food Bank, organising various street collections around the Village as well as the main George & Dragon collection point. They also helped raise money for the Vera Fletcher Hall Theatre by staging a play in their garden. Thank you both for all that you do!

Nell was nominated four times in our Awards by Sam Brierley, Liza Dale, Adam Braggs and Samantha Armiger! Why? Nell organised the daily litter picking at Albany Reach. Not only did she organise it, she led from the front. For all of us locals we know what a blight litter has become along our much-used beauty spots. Summer seems a long time ago now, but Nell must have removed a few tonnes of detritus from Albany Reach on her daily round ups. She also made Aragon Avenue more accessible to emergency vehicles, which was particularly relevant to one family who had a chimney fire and needed the fire brigade’s help! Nell is another unsung local hero who acts very humbly without asking for recognition. So, we’re pleased to be able to say ‘Thank You Nell’ and say congratulations on your Award! As one of her nominators said, "Top girl"! We couldn’t agree more.

Graham is a long term and very active member of the Thames Ditton Residents Association. Nominated by his friend Brian Napper, Graham advises on planning issues, places the Association wreath on November 11th at the War Memorial, and is often seen playing his saxophone at the Farmers’ Market to entertain shoppers!!! He is also a strong supporter of live music at the George and Dragon and their Quiz Nights (pre COVID-19)! Congratulations Graham!

Barbara is described by Tricia Bland who nominated her, ‘as the Queen Sewing Bee of Thames Ditton Boomerang Bags’. She has been with the anti-single-use plastic project since it began here in Thames Ditton in 2017 and has made more Thames Ditton Boomerang Bags than anyone else. Her dedication to the initiative is phenomenal, making the most beautiful bags and now face masks. She has even invested in an industrial style sewing machine and over locker so she can make Boomerang Bags out of the beautiful upholstery fabric that has been donated. Boomerang Bags, are given out free to nine independent shops and businesses in the village, which in turn are given out free to their customers, helping to reduce the number of plastic bags being used in Thames Ditton and promote the anti-single-use plastic message. When not in lockdown, the group operate out of the Thames Ditton Centre for the Community, but even during lockdown they continued whilst self-isolating from home over many, many months. Barbara is an inspiration and an unsung heroine of our community. Thank You Barbara from all us!

To find out more about Thames Ditton Boomerang Bags or enquire for your business you can reach them via their Facebook page.

Kuki has become a familiar face to many of us in the Village. Retail is hard work and Budgens has never been busier than this year. Kuki and his team have more than met the challenge of 2020 and the shop has become a hub for the local Community. He deserves recognition for his efforts. During this year particularly, he and his team have shown true dedication to serving Thames Ditton day in and day out. Kuki never takes a day off, he's always cheerful, good to talk to and he's a positive character who often goes the extra mile, contacting About Thames Ditton for example with reasons to help the Community. An unsung hero who gets on quietly in the background. Congratulate him next time you pop in! Well done Kuki.

Nominated by both Elizabeth Wildey and Clare Ednay-Cox who say, Lesley helps so many people in the local area with the charity Smiles 2 Smiles and over the Christmas period with her colleagues has collected huge amounts to distribute to families in need along with her friends and colleagues at the Charity. Every year they provide hundreds of underprivileged families with aid and donated gifts to make their lives a bit easier and better! Over this Christmas period she has helped to put together Xmas hampers for families - standing outside the infant school in the rain to take in donations! Please show her how much she is appreciated in Thames Ditton for all her work and also for always being a friendly face to everyone. Well done Lesley and to all of your colleagues and supporters!

Find out more on their Facebook page.

Nominated by Hannah Mullins who says that Desiree as the Chair of the Friends of Long Ditton Infants and Nursery School charity puts in hours of work to raise money to help the school. This year has been a particular challenge as the school has not been able to hold its usual fund raising activities but that hasn't stopped her and the creativity she and the Friends have shown that will ensure the school still received valuable extra funds this year. Her efforts help a lot of children and families locally and I think they largely go un-thanked. As Hannah says, ‘It would be nice to correct this’! So on behalf of the Community you serve we say ‘Thank You Desiree’ to you and your colleagues on the Friends

Nominated by Rebecca Walker who has highlighted numerous ways in which Aileen helps and supports our local community. She took action where it was most needed when COVID-19 hit, and she is also that person who, ‘spots when someone is in need, or lonely or struggling’. She takes them for a walk, pops in for a coffee, drops them a gift, calls them regularly.

In addition:

She is Chair of The Dittons Fair Committee for five years and a member of the committee for many years before that, an event that not only takes time, but requires a high degree of care and empathy for others.

Aileen has been actively involved with The Dittons Scouts - supporting her husband Allen who is a leader - going on the camps, helping organise activities and social gatherings.

An active part of the group advocating for the protection of the Green Belt, galvanising support, delivering leaflets and raising the profile of proposed plans ensuring a widespread public consultation.

Helped to coordinate the gathering and distribution of PPE equipment from schools to hospitals all over Surrey and London, contacting Hospital A&E Departments and Care Homes to assess their needs.

When COVID-19 was creating unprecedented pressure on local pharmacies, she helped co-ordinate a local response to deliver prescriptions which provided much needed support to pharmacies ensuring local people could still receive their medication, whilst checked in regularly on the health and wellbeing of these pharmacists.

Finally, she also sits on the committee of the Long Ditton Community Hall!

Her passion for the local community inspires others around her to get involved and she does all this behind the scenes with no fanfare or ego. We are very lucky to have Aileen in our community and she truly deserves this award.

Wow! Aileen, Thank You, you are a worthy winner of one of our Community Spirit Awards for 2020!

Needing something to entertain his daughter during the first lockdown, Guy came up with the idea of a local Thames Ditton Treasure hunt using QR codes that he placed around Thames Ditton and the village. As Chad Newton who nominated him said, all of the questions were aimed at learning more about the area and its features.

It was used by many of the local Infant and Junior School children, and indeed their parents, to get out of the house and exercise and learn whilst they were at it.

This was also then also used by a couple of local Scout Groups for the same reason!

So, from one simple idea, he helped get a lot of local children out of the house for some exercise and help parents manage the lockdowns a bit better.

Great idea Guy and thank you for demonstrating great Community Spirit!

Nominated by Cherry Bartles-Smith, who says: “Mrs Patel and her shop is such an asset to the village and community. She's such a lovely lady”.

This was further supported by one of our judges, Susie from ATD who noted: “She does go above and beyond just being a shopkeeper, a friend to many.”

Congratulations Mrs Patel and thanks for your Community Spirit.