Awards to recognise community champions

St Leger Homes held their Annual Tenants Choice Awards ceremony, paying tribute to people who make their local communities a great place to live.

Awards were given out to local individuals and groups who make a positive difference to their local communities.

The ceremony, held at the Earl of Doncaster hotel, brought together people from different areas and different backgrounds in an inspiring event.

Paul Tanney, Chief Executive at St Leger Homes, said: “Doncaster is a fantastic place to live and work – and it’s great that we can come together and celebrate the achievements local people are making within their own communities.”

The Community Champion Award was won by John Allard and Steve Ackerman who work tirelessly in Denaby to engage the local community, creating a digital hub so people can access resources and learn new skills. They created Party in the Park bringing organisations and the Denaby community together, and have also helped with activities at the Craganour TARA.

John Allard said: “It’s great to win and a recognition of what we do as a Tenants and Residents Association in Denaby. We’ve been involved for around 12 years and we enjoy what we do. A lot of it is around tackling social isolation – we put nights like bingo on and try to give people of all ages something to do.”

The Young Person of the Year Award was won by Morgan Tiplady a student at Trinity Academy, and was recently presented with their ‘Good Citizen Award’. She volunteers at Thorne Moorends Community Hub and Foodbank to help others in her community.

The Community Group Award was won by DN7 Foodbank who provide support for members of the community who are struggling to provide a meal for their families.

The Good Neighbour Award was won by Madge Taylor a hands on tenant in Edlington who looks after her neighbours and uses the community building to put on activities for them including bingo and a lunch club.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was won by Maureen Tennison. She has worked tirelessly for residents for many years. Maureen has worked closely with St Leger Homes as a Board Member. Maureen is also a driving force behind Edlington Royal TARA.

The overall winner of the St Leger Homes Photographic Competition was Rachel Ackerman, aged 16, for her photo River of Reflection, for which she received a 360 degree camera.