Two volunteers from Keep Wales Tidy have been recognised for their community work at this year’s Wales Volunteer of the Year awards. Gary Roberts from Port Talbot and Judith Wright from the Ceiriog Valley near Wrexham beat over 200 applicants and are two of three volunteers to win the Green Category in the awards managed by Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA).
The 66-year-old is Chair of the Sandfields and Aberavon Communities First Partnership, regeneration charity NSA and the local Keep Wales Tidy group. Gary, now retired, organises many community initiatives and assists securing funding from various grant schemes.
One of his most notable projects has been a recent ‘waste amnesty’ which saw electrical equipment removed from the homes of elderly and disabled residents who could not dispose of them personally. Gary drove a van around helping remove white goods and ferry them back and forth to the civic amenity site for two days. More than 100 appliances were removed from homes, gardens and lanes in the area.
He has also helped to remove trolleys from the river, rubbish from Aberavon Beach and graffiti from community buildings, helping to restore pride in the area.
Gary (pictured here with fellow volunteers) was nominated for the award by Kathryn Britton, Tidy Towns Officer with Keep Wales Tidy, who says:
‘Nothing is too much trouble for Gary and he works tirelessly wherever he is needed in the community. He displays a huge passion for the area where he grew up and is dedicated to its rejuvenation.’
Judith runs the Garth Hillside Organic Garden & Outreach Project, a recently established sustainable fruit and vegetable and conservation initiative which offers the garden as a resource to local groups, students and visitors. The group has benefitted from Keep Wales Tidy’s Tidy Towns grant scheme, which offers financial assistance to small community groups.
The project has become a very popular part of the local community, benefiting the volunteers through social gatherings, healthy outdoor exercise and locally sourced organic vegetables.
Judith (seen here with Derek Brockway) comments:
‘The great thing about volunteering is that you can use your own vision and passion to create whatever change you want to see. One of the most positive things we can do to protect our environment is to grow food and at the garden, we learn to be more self reliant whilst building lasting friendships.'
Shane Hughes, Keep Wales Tidy Project Officer for Wrexham, added:
"The incredible work by Judith in creating a vibrant, fruitful and natural community focused garden in the heart of the Ceiriog Valley clearly sets the benchmark for other garden projects throughout Wales to follow. This award is well deserved and I wish Judith and all the volunteers who work tirelessly throughout the year all the very best for future"
Gary and Judith were presented with their awards by BBC weatherman Derek Brockway at a ceremony at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay earlier this month.
Lesley Jones, Chief Executive for Keep Wales Tidy, says:
‘Keep Wales Tidy is very fortunate to have such willing and enthusiastic volunteers. Gary and Judith very much deserve this recognition for his commitment to caring for his local area and the people who live there. I am sure that theywill be an inspiration to others like them who want to make a positive difference.’
To find out more about the awards and the work carried out by WCVA, click here.