Make a Difference Awards: Suffolk community heroes celebrated

Carers, community groups and good neighbours were all honoured at BBC Radio Suffolk's Make a Difference Awards

A woman who has become a carer for three different members of her family is one of seven community heroes to be honoured at an awards ceremony.

Amanda Williams who has cared for her husband, father and mother was one of the recipients at BBC Radio Suffolk's Make a Difference Awards.

Carers, community groups and good neighbours were all honoured.

BBC Make a Difference was set up at the start of the first lockdown in March 2020 to help those needing support.

'We get on with it'

Among the winners was Amanda Williams who has been caring for her husband for the last five years after he was diagnosed with the rare condition aplastic anaemia, where the body stops producing enough blood cells.

For the last 15 years she also helped care for her father, who had a stroke, and supported her mother through breast cancer treatment and recovery.

"It just never stops sometimes. I feel it's been one thing after another, after another. But for some reason we just get on with it. Inside you're crumbling but you just put on that face," she said.

'Lease of life'

Volunteer Lorna Stygall was also honoured for her work at Future Female Society.

She joined the organisation as a volunteer after taking part in one of its programmes, which helped her during a "very dark time" mentally.

Being part of the project helped "reignite a lot of passions... helped change my mindset", she said.

"I lost my purpose as a mum and my complete identity; I don't feel alone anymore; I feel like this is where I belong; volunteering has been able to give me that lease of life," she added.

'Really friendly'

Woodworks Art Cafe in Lowestoft is an entirely volunteer run space offering workshops, a café and volunteers who enjoy sitting and chatting with customers and offering advice and support where possible.

Volunteer Kinsey Foster said: "It's just a nice little community cafe and it's become quite a community hub.

"People do come in here and will chat to anyone; it's one of those really friendly cafes everyone comes and has a chat and if you want some support, you can come here."

The winners were:

• The Volunteer Award - Lorna Stygall: She joined the Future Female Society as a volunteer after taking part in their More Than Mum project

• The Community Group Award - The Sunflower Community Care Farm which aims to engage the therapeutic use of farming practices for a range of vulnerable groups

• The Fundraiser Award - Ashton Fulcher: The "Pallet Teen" raises money for charities by making items out of wooden pallets which he sells

• The Carer Award - Amanda Williams: She has cared for three members of her family for the past 15 years

• The Great Neighbour Award - Tricia Connolly: She has created a host of community events in Tattingstone, set up a local ride share, workshops and drop-in coffee mornings

• The Green Award - Bury St Edmunds Rickshaw: The scheme helps to reduce car usage in town by delivering food and prescriptions and helps connect isolated people by offering trips

• The Together Award - Woodworks Art Cafe in Lowestoft has become a hub offering creative workshops, support and advice as well as a place to meet for the local community

The winners were announced at the BBC Radio Suffolk Make a Difference Award Ceremony at Trinity Park near Ipswich on Wednesday, with highlights to be broadcast at midday on Thursday as part of Sarah Lilley's Morning show.