Southwold Town Council was delighted to have recently been invited to the Suffolk Community Awards Ceremony held at Stowmarket Food Museum. The Awards ceremony, hosted as a partnership approach, and delivered by Community Action Suffolk, Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Association of Local Councils, highlighted the great work and inspiring projects being delivered in Suffolk.
Hannah Reid, Chief Executive of Community Action Suffolk, said: “Community Action Suffolk is delighted to host our award winners at this very special collaborative event. Recognising the dedication and commitment of volunteers, community leaders and organisations across Suffolk’s voluntary sector and potentially inspiring others to get involved”.
Sally Longmate, Chief Executive Officer at SALC said: “Across Suffolk there are unsung heroes who selflessly devote time, resource and funds to enhance the quality of life across our communities and it is often down to the commitment of individuals, groups and organisations who rise to the occasion and lay the groundwork for a better tomorrow. The Suffolk Community Awards offer a moment to pause, acknowledge and most importantly express gratitude to all those who play a part”
The Town Council, represented by Deputy Mayor Paula Goldsmith and Councillor Mike Wells, were presented with the award for ‘Suffolk Council of the Year’.
The MC, Mark Murphy, advised guests that;
This council showed real teamwork, and it was clear to the judges that everyone gets involved in delivering new initiatives to their residents and visitors. There have been inspiring projects, one of which, a skatepark, serves as a great community gathering spot for the younger generation.
Southwold is a popular seaside town, and the council recognised the importance of service delivery to visitors by providing a pop-up tourist information stall which is manned by councillors and local residents.
Following the success of the pop-up information stall the council has recently purchased a property in the High Street to create a permanent base for the provision of this information centre.
The judges were extremely impressed with the Enterprise Hub project, offering opportunities for new businesses and job creations. East Suffolk Council said the project was extremely ambitious and forward thinking for a town council to take on, as well as a proactive stance setting a benchmark in local governance, driving community growth and development to new heights.’
As well as Council of the year, the Salc awards also included Councillor and Clerk of the Year, and were sponsored by West Suffolk Council, East Suffolk Council, Babergh District Council, Mid Suffolk District Council and Cloudy IT.
