Boxing coach and lifesavers get Freedom of Borough

The recipients of Freedom of the Borough were chosen in recognition of their work in the community

A boxing coach and people dedicated to saving lives have been presented with Freedom of the Borough for their community work.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council voted to bestow the honour to Jayne Biggs of defibrillator charity Heart2Heart Norfolk; Hugh Sturzaker, a retired surgeon who became lead governor at the James Paget Hospital, and 87-year-old Cecil Page, who founded the Kingfisher Amateur Boxing Club.

They also presented a scroll to the local branch of The Samaritans, a charity that supports people in crisis.

Carl Annison, mayor of the Borough of Great Yarmouth, said: "The contribution they have all made, and continue to make, to our community is an inspiration to all of us."

Annison added: "It is a real privilege as mayor to be able to present Cecil, Hugh, Jayne and the Samaritans with their honour after the unanimous vote to award them the Freedom of the Borough.

"Their achievements are an example of what makes Great Yarmouth such a special place."

The first Freeman of the Borough was bestowed in 1312, but Jayne Biggs has become only the third woman in Great Yarmouth to receive the honour

It was in 1312 that John Fraunceys of Caister was named the first Freeman of Great Yarmouth.

Traditionally there were two ways in which to gain the Freedom of the Borough; sons of freemen who were born after their fathers had become a freeman, and apprentices of freemen who had served their masters for seven years could claim the right to be admitted.

While in some boroughs it was possible for women to become freemen, usually when they took over the trade or business of a deceased husband.

But it was almost 700 years until a woman was granted Freedom of the Borough when in 1997 former mayor Cora Batley was honoured, followed in 2019 by Aileen Mobbs, founding chairman of the Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival.

That makes Mrs Biggs only the third woman in the borough to be bestowed the honour.

Mrs Biggs, who founded Norfolk Heart2Heart after giving her seven-year-old daughter first aid after she had a heart attack, said the ceremony was "incredible".

She said: "I was really honoured by it because I also won the BBC Make a Difference Award this year.

"But receiving the Freedom of the Borough was just lovely, and I'm only the third woman to be honoured like this, so it's unbelievable."

Chris Bidgood, branch co-director of the Great Yarmouth Samaritans, said: "It was a great honour for the branch and all of the dedicated volunteers to be recognised for the work they do and have done in the community for over half a century."