Furzedown: Long Service Community Awards 2021
Congratulations to the award winners
| Person(s) receiving award | Reason for award |
| Adrian Fisher | For running RonPet on Mitcham Lane for many years – a shop that serves the Furzedown community through selling pets, pet supplies and plants; and for keeping the shop open during lockdown (when permitted), which was important to pet owners. |
| Audrey Silkin | For many contributions to the Furzedown community over the years, including supporting the parent and toddler group at St Alban’s Church; and providing advice about, and care for, cats and other animals. “Such a role model for how to live life with energy and positivity.” |
| Beryl Richards | For all her work in organising, over a number of years, the regular film festivals as part of the Furzedown Festival; and the joy, laughter, insight and cultural delight these brought to many people. |
| Caroline Holden | For setting up and running the “1,000 Trees for Furzedown” group, aimed at increasing the number of trees in Furzedown to provide aesthetic and environmental benefits: and, recently, producing the “Tree Trail” booklet for Furzedown. |
| Denise Broad | For organising and leading the Great Gustos community choir with great enthusiasm and expertise, particularly during the lockdowns; working on Furzedown Community Theatre and other community events over the years; as well as, recently, volunteering at the COVID vaccination centre. “She is a true inspiration.” |
| Di Berry, Jacquie Dredge, Sarah Armstrong | For many years of fundraising and working on community events in Furzedown, and particularly with the Furzedown Community Theatre productions. |
| John Farebrother | For serving the community in a variety of ways over many years, including as a local Councillor, Mayor of Wandsworth, trustee of the Furzedown Project, and assisting at St James’ Church as a Southwark Pastoral Auxiliary. “John is the definition of a long-term community servant.” |
| Rev. Professor June Boyce-Tillman | For her contribution to the Furzedown community over many years, including youth and choral leadership, and music halls and pantomimes at St Paul’s Church; teaching in local schools; and organising the Wandsworth schools’ music festival in earlier years. |
| Linda Lewis | For supporting the Furzedown community including fundraising for Penwortham PTA; volunteering with the Bowling Club; and supporting Sprout Arts on a daily basis for more than a decade. |
| Rev. Marc Richeux | As Vicar of St Alban’s Church, working very hard to care for his parishioners, and showing a real concern for the wider community, particularly during the pandemic; providing free breakfast during the colder months, and opening the church (when allowed) for coffee, chat and company. |
| Roger Wates | For the contribution which E&A Wates, which, sadly, closed in 2021, made to the Furzedown community over many years, providing furnishings, advice, furniture repairs and goods; and for giving space to community events like the Furzedown Nativity and the Sprout Art Loans exhibitions. |
| Sarah Forester | For playing a very active role in the community in a large number of ways over the years, including organising the Big Day Out bar, “Walk/ Run/Scoot” and other FCN events; volunteering at Faylands Childrens Centre; leading walks for the Furzedown Project; and, recently, volunteering at the COVID vaccination centre. “She is an inveterate networker and facilitator and looks out for this community in so many ways….” |
| Suzanne Ellis & Vijay Bhuchar | For all their hard work in moderating the FCN email network, handling the large number of posts; and seeking to ensure that, where differences of view are expressed, that exchanges remain polite and respectful. |
FURZEDOWN COMMUNITY NETWORK: LOCAL COMMUNITY AWARDS
Furzedown Community Awards 2020
Congratulations to the award winners
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Person/group receiving award
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Reason for award
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Alan Snowden |
Watering all the newly planted trees in the Furzedown ward quietly and without any fuss, all summer. This has been very important with the dry weather. Alan currently waters 19 trees every week.
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Alison Sugden |
Bringing together people to support and help each other out and lift spirits; including running the local sewing group to make a banner for St George’s staff, and to make masks, scrubs and other equipment (and to raise funds for Critical NHS); and delivering food to hospital staff.
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Budgens Supermarket and staff |
Running a well-organised, friendly and helpful local supermarket, particularly during lockdown, sourcing multiple suppliers so as to provide a continuous stock; and supporting the community in a number of other ways. The managerial staff worked double shifts for four months.
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Chris Ram, of Light Water Plants
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Helping to maintain the spectacular display of flowers on the roundabout on Furzedown Drive for the benefit of the community. Chris works with Lyndsay Randow (as below) on this excellent work.
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Denise and Bob Broad
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Inspiring local people to keep positive during the pandemic, particularly by continuing to run the Great Gustos community choir, which has required considerable additional work for “virtual” singing. Raising funds for Water Aid and the St George’s Hospital Charity. Organising (socially distanced) live gigs on Brookview Road.
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Janneke Diemel and Niall Barrett
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Sterling and tireless work – without care for their own safety – in setting up and running Critical Nhs, which has raised very large sums of money to feed nurses at St Georges, and keep local restaurants going during the pandemic. “Two incredible local people.” |
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Lucinda Denning
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For being very supportive to the community and to neighbours during lockdown, including picking up prescriptions and doing shopping for those less able to get out.
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Lyndsay Randow |
Continuing to plant up the roundabout on Furzedown Drive with all sorts of wonderful and colourful plants, despite low grade soil and no watering system. The sight of the roundabout, particularly during lockdown, brought much pleasure and joy to everyone passing it, and Lyndsay’s work has turned an eyesore into a local beauty spot. She does this to make the space better, for no other reward. |
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Mowgli, leader of 4th Streatham Sea Scouts
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Providing a very engaging and interesting learning environment for local scouts, particularly during lockdown, with virtual events and with 3 weeks training in boating skills on the Thames, which required a lot of organisation. “I’ve never met anyone so dedicated in their life to developing children to the best of their potential.”
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Noah Robinson, Patrick Stockwell, and all who work very hard to keep Graveney Woods clean of rubbish
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Noah and Patrick are students at Graveney School, who recently completed successfully their volunteering project for litter collection in Graveney Woods under the Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme. Many thanks to them; and also to the many other local people who help to clear litter in Graveney Woods.
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Residents of 167 Crowborough Road |
For posting a “Joke of the Day”, every day, in the front window of their house. This has been very good in providing humour, and lifting spirits, to passers-by. “Being assured a laugh every day is no small thing in these times.”
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Stasie Capewell
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For spending a huge amount of time and energy during lockdown raising money for Critical NHS, the foodbank and other local causes, particularly by making (and organising a team of helpers to make) facemasks for sale to local people. She also made items for ‘rest and recharge’ rooms for frontline NHS staff. She has also organised a number of raffles for these causes, which have been fun to take part in, whilst rallying community spirit.
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Vito Ward
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For helping to promote community during the pandemic by being a great organiser in the road, and posting lots of videos which have certainly lifted people’s spirits up.
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(We decided that members of the FCN committee would not be eligible for an award.)