MEMBERS of the public, organisations and charities were invited to attend the first Bude Heroes awards recently, held to recognise those who are truly dedicated to the community, writes Rosie Cripps.

Hosted by mayor, Bob Willingham, and Bude-Stratton Town Council, the event took place in the Ivor Potter Hall at the Parkhouse Centre on the evening of Thursday, November 8.

Cllr Willingham presented the ceremony, and said: “This is all to celebrate the community of Bude.

“As mayor, I got the chance to recognise the heroes of Bude — this community is incredible and the town wouldn’t be what it is without those of you in the community who really make a great difference.”

Cllr Willingham decided to host such an event earlier in the year, when he announced to his fellow town councillors that instead of hosting a mayor’s civic event for Heritage Day, he would instead be aiming to sing the praises of the ‘unsung heroes and volunteers’ of Bude. This decision was met with criticism from some, but received much support from others and, as the event came to fruition, it was clear just how important the event was in recognising those dedicated individuals.

Cllr Willingham said: “Our town is full of brilliant, selfless people who do so much for others, and I thought it was high-time we recognised and celebrated the efforts of these inspiring individuals.”

Each guest was handed a programme of events, with a photograph and passage in the front detailing the incident involving ‘an early Bude hero’ — George Bate. On August 6, 1857, a lady, while bathing in the sea at Bude Haven, was carried by the tide beyond her depth. She managed to keep herself afloat and called for help, when George, on hearing the alarm, plunged into the sea and swam out a distance of half a mile to her assistance. Battling the tide and the risk of a ‘convulsive grasp of despair’, the pair finally reached the shore, exhausted, with the lady having been in the water for approximately half an hour. Following the rescue, George was presented with a pecuniary reward by the Duke of Northumberland.

Cllr Willingham also mentioned another Bude hero, who was commemorated on Perranporth beach on November 11 as part of Danny Boyle’s and 14-18-Now’s Pages of the Sea project, commemorating the lives of soldiers who would have left English shores over 100 years ago and never return.

His name was Archie Jewell, a survivor of the Titanic disaster, who was born at 34 King Street, Bude. Archie would go on to perish during the sinking of the passenger steamship SS Donegal, a hospital ship during the First World War, which was hit by a torpedo in April 1917.

Cllr Willingham then paid tribute to Alan Litchfield and Godfrey Harrison, president and chairman of the Bude Royal British Legion branch, recognising that Alan had served during the D-Day landings and had received the Legion d’Honneur for his service.

The first winner, nominated by Cllr Simon Browning, was Mary Whibley, chair of the Bude Refugee Support Group.

Bude Refugee Support Group came together in 2016 to look at helping a worldwide crisis that is apparent due to conflict and corruption in other countries. After heaps of fundraising, to-ing and fro-ing with the Home Office, tackling criticism from others and spreading awareness of the issue, which is still very much relevant across Europe now, Bude Refugee Support Group were delighted to finally welcome their first family in 2017, which was followed by a second family at the beginning of 2018.

Accepting her award, Mary said: “Thank you to Simon for nominating me, but I accept this on behalf of the group. They have all helped to resettle them (the families), and there are six young children in Bude who now have a future.”

Next up was Katie Brind, nominating the founder of Bude Rubbish Action Group (BRAG), Paul Crum.

Paul introduced Bude Rubbish Action Group earlier this year, in an aim to get people together to tidy up the streets in Bude, preventing rubbish from getting onto the beaches, into the sea.

Cllr Paul Tilzey, also chairman of the Friends of Bude Sea Pool, presented the next award to Deb Rosser.

Deb decided to take part in beach cleans on her local beach at Crooklets just after she moved to the area nine years ago, introducing CR*P beach clean group, which still works regularly on the beach to clear up plastics and litter. In 2014, she came up with the ingenious idea to introduce a reusable bottle and hot drinks cup in the shape of ReFILL Bude, encouraging local hospitality businesses to get involved and allow customers to fill up their water bottles for free, and, more recently, ask to have their takeaway coffee in their bamboo-based reusable coffee cup. ReFILL has since expanded nationwide, with people from Brighton to Bristol and further afield now recognising the importance of reusing and refilling.

More recently, in February 2018, she, and a team of other environmental advocates from the town, came together to introduce A Greener Bude, working with businesses, organisations and the local community to make Bude more sustainable.

Simon Hammond nominated Bude youngsters Dean and Ella Henwood from Bude Surf Life Saving Club, both of whom have been part of the club from a very young age and, as of three years ago, have been running the lifeguard coaching scheme for the club.

Dean said: “This is representing everyone from Bude Surf Life Saving Club, as there’s so many people behind the club, which, I think many people would agree, is a vital asset to Bude. But I think special recognition should go to Ella, who has basically trained 12 out of 13 of the club sessions.”

Artists Sue Read and Jinny Adams were recognised for their work on the ‘Guerilla Gardeners’ project at the roundabout by Splash. With Jinny unable to be there, Sue spoke on behalf of them and said: “I feel very humbled to be here. We had this idea because we just wanted to celebrate what Bude is all about. With the building going on in the Splash area, we thought we would make something out of it.”

Local animal hero Sue Clancy Gear was nominated by Steph Jones Giles for her dedication to wildlife.

Sue said on accepting her award: “I’m really a bit embarrassed — I don’t think I do anything that I haven’t done for years and years and years.

“But I’d like to thank my husband who has supported me with everything I do, and for putting up with all the smelly hedgehogs and wild animals we have living in our home!”

Following a break and buffet, the second half commenced

Janine King, heritage development officer at Bude Castle and Heritage Centre, nominated the Castle archive team, of which was set up in 2004 by Anne Longley, still very much an involved member of the team today. Consisting of Anne Longley, Madalene Warren, Patricia Philp and Sue Burrows, guests heard that the majority of volunteers have been involved with the archive team for a number of years, and focus on the set up and maintenance of the archive stores, providing visitors with the fantastic displays and exhibitions they are able to see today. In addition, volunteers help digitalise the collection, train new volunteers and helped get the heritage centre to fully accredited status ten years ago, one of the few in Cornwall.

Janet McGully was presented with an award for her work in providing a social and welcoming club for Bude’s disabled community, the Exercising for Mobility group. She set up the group, which now has four classes a week with around 20 volunteers, where people can experience a lively atmosphere with plenty of tea and cake available.

Kerry Hardy nominated Isabele Florendine from Morrisons, who has gone above and beyond to help a vital charity, the Cornwall Air Ambulance. Kerry said: “Isabele works at Morrisons, but she goes beyond Morrisons. I’ve known Isabele for six years, and she fundraises very strongly for the air ambulance.

“She will collect out-of-hours, it’s her petrol, and she travels as far as Newquay some days — no one knows she does this. Isabele needs some recognition for what she does.”

Next to receive an award was Sue Jarvis, who runs Bude Food Bank. As landlady of the Carriers Inn in Bude for many years, on her retirement she took it upon herself to ‘serve the community in a very different way’. Through the food bank, Sue provides food parcels, furniture, cookery lessons and a listening ear. Described as having ‘a heart the size of Cornwall’, Sue, for the ‘first time’ in her life, said she was speechless. “Normally I can talk for England,” she said tearfully. “Without my husband, I couldn’t do what I do, and my family and granddaughter — they all support me. However, the volunteers that work in the food bank are just amazing, they all try to help others and work so hard to provide to so many families.

“People have problems in a stretch of lots of things, but sometimes they just need someone to talk to. This is so important for the food banks, not just ours, because they don’t get the recognition they deserve.”

Local community champion, Ros Dolphin — who was somehow missed off the invitation list and was half way through writing her Christmas cards at home when she received the call to pop along to the ceremony — was nominated for her dedication to a variety of organisations and charities throughout the area.

Ros has been known to work with Step One, a local charity helping mental wellbeing; a volunteer driver and shop assistant for Age Concern; has worked with Cornwall Hospice Care, and has been a member of the Bude Street Pastors since it first came to fruition. Ros is also a member of Bude Refugee Support Group, and has assisted the families in terms of transport and attending appointments with them. She is also known to visit and check up on the elderly around the town, enhancing the idea of being a ‘good neighbour’. “Ros is a real community champion, nothing is ever too much trouble. She is a true volunteer,” the audience heard.

Ros said: “I’m just so surprised! I love Bude and I love doing what I do for it.”

The final award of the evening was to be presented to Pete Vickery. Nominated by Adrian (Horace) Parsons from Bude Surf Life Saving Club, Pete joined the club in 1954 and has been present ever since, except for two years when he went to Australia to ‘educate them in the Bude way’.

Horace said Pete’s involvement in the club has been ‘immense’, and he now hosts ‘Vickle’s Walks’, showing locals and visitors alike around Bude. Horace added: “He’s a true ambassador to our special town. Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present Peter Vickery, Vickles or, aka, Ross Poldark!”

Dashingly dressed in a Cornish kilt, Pete bounded onto the stage and accepted his award. “I’m very proud of Bude. Bude has the most generous people in the world, particularly when it comes to people who have suffered from an illness.”

As deputy mayor, Peter Moores, came up to conclude the evening, a flick of Pete’s kilt at the corner of the stage sent everyone into laughter.

“People do so much in Bude, and don’t necessarily always want the recognition for it,” Cllr Moores said. Addressing Cllr Willingham, he added: “But this is super. Thank you for organising and hosting this.”

Cllr Willingham was pleased with how the event went, adding: “These people are the unsung heroes of our community — they do it all for non-profit and they are tireless in their efforts. I am so delighted that the Bude Heroes Awards has taken off, and that these wonderful people are receiving the recognition they deserve.”