2023 Winners

Overall PRIDE OF GEDLING AWARD Winner 2023 sponsored by Keepmoat

Lauren Cope

The overall Pride of Gedling Award Winner is Lauren Cope, recognised for her vital fundraising campaigns and dedication to supporting communities across Gedling Borough. Lauren also won this year’s Pride of Gedling Community Hero Award, you can find out more about this award in the Community Hero Award section further down on this page.

Business in the Community Award winner (sponsored by Keepmoat)

Connect Café

Nina, the dynamic force behind Connect Cafe, is a true community champion. Her cafe isn’t just a place to grab a meal, it’s a hub of community support and acceptance. Nina passionately supports local artists, craftspeople and significant local events including Netherfest and Netherfield Pride.

She creates a safe space for everyone, including the LGBTQ+ community. With unwavering dedication, Nina promotes diversity through craft clubs and photoshoots, revitalising Netherfield and its surroundings.

Community Heroes Award Winner, sponsored by Gedling Lotto

Lauren Cope

Lauren is a true community champion. She’s been a lifeline for local schools, providing vital donations and even handing out fruit to families and children at the school gate. As a dedicated Community Champion for Morrisons, she’s worked closely with Nottinghamshire County Council’s Day Service for people with disabilities, offering support and collaboration on activities.

Lauren’s passion for community and fundraising is boundless. Over the past two years, she’s been a tireless and fierce fundraiser, always seeking support for her latest projects. Her role as a Community Champion truly shines through in her unwavering commitment.

Outstanding Community Project Winner sponsored by Jigsaw Homes

Digging Deep Heritage Project – Norma Gregory

Norma is a remarkable local historian whose ‘Digging Deep’ project has left an enduring legacy. As part of the 75th anniversary of Windrush this year, Norma’s community event made a significant impact in Gedling, a mining town with a rich heritage.

Norma has consistently championed heritage often overlooked by society, showcasing her dedication to lifelong learning. Over the past 8+ years, she has led the ‘Digging Deep’ project, fostering diversity education in former local industrial sectors. Norma’s invaluable contributions make her a role model for the community, fostering a positive change in Gedling and beyond.

The Environmental Hero Award Winner sponsored by THE WILKINS GROUP

Chrisy Chadbourne

Chrisy is a remarkable person whose dedication to nature and tenacity in the face of adversity, deserve recognition. At 77 years of age Chrisy’s unwavering commitment shines through. She walks from Calverton to the woods known as Oxton bogs, carrying heavy bags filled with birdseed for the many feeding stations that she maintains in the wood, and she also litter picks as she walks.

Chrisy serves as a role model of the best in human nature. Her love for, and care of, nature are qualities that both young and old can aspire to emulate. Chrisy’s dedication to the environment is truly inspirational.

Inspirational Healthy Lifestyle Award Winner sponsored by Gladstone MRM Ltd.

BKS Matial Arts – Warren Bennett

BKS Martial Arts, based in Arnold, is a deserving nominee for this award. This community operates like a tight-knit family, fostering a friendly and welcoming environment.

Warren Bennett, the coach’s exceptional dedication to each child’s individual needs is truly remarkable. Their hard work has not only equipped children with self-defence skills but has also significantly boosted confidence and self-esteem.

The commitment to inspiring others and building self-esteem is evident through their work in schools, making them a true inspiration in promoting healthy lifestyles.

‘Dylan Barker’ Young Achiever Award Winner sponsored by Mellors Group

Matilda Handy

Matilda’s innovation is truly exceptional. She conceived the beautiful idea of a “postbox to heaven” in crematoriums, providing a channel for grieving individuals to send letters to their departed loved ones.

As an inspirational young person, Matilda’s initiative has transformed the lives of those grieving. The postbox scheme, known as “Letters to Heaven,” has been embraced by countless people, offering a means to say hello or wish a happy birthday to those they’ve lost.

Her impact has transcended borders, as the initiative has gained international recognition. Postboxes similar to Matilda’s have appeared not only in the UK, but also in the USA and Australia. She even appeared on the ONE Show on BBC.

Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

Trevor Clower

In 1973, Trevor Clower’s life changed forever. Trevor’s first child was diagnosed with learning difficulties around the age of two years old, and it became clear that Trevor would need to become a carer to ensure his son got the life chances he needed.

Knowing the diagnosis of his son, Trevor struggled when it came to something you’d think might be easy to access – help! He couldn’t find information on any support available near him.

Frustrated, Trevor decided to do something about it, not just for himself and his family, but for others who were facing the same challenges.

Wanting to make a difference and help others, and after retiring, Trevor decided to try something he’d been thinking about to help unpaid carers, and in 2013 he launched the first Caring Roadshows. The events brought together different support agencies and groups, making a range of information and advice easily accessible to unpaid carers. The first events included a small number of agencies that Trevor contacted, but after the success of the first few shows, it was clear that there was a real need to expand the size and scale of the shows so that more people could get the help they needed.

Between 2013-2019 the Caring Roadshow would take place at more than 100 different venues across Nottinghamshire and beyond, with over 90 different support agencies attending, and visited by more than 18,000 people over the years. These events not only led to thousands of important conversations taking place between support agencies and unpaid careers, but also more than 2,000 referrals to attendees helping them access the support they needed.

Not content with just organising and managing the events, Trevor then continued to find ways to improve the processes for carers and began to work with Local Authorities and the NHS, sharing information and feedback gathered at these events to help them improve their own and services and in turn, the lives of unpaid carers.

In 2020, the world turned upside down for all of us. COVID restrictions were brought in across the whole of the UK and events such as the Caring Roadshows were put on hold, but this didn’t stop Trevor.

Determined to continue to help unpaid carers, at a time when support was more important than ever, Trevor set up the Virtual Carers Roadshow. Trevor once again brought together support agencies and organised for more than 80 different YouTube videos to be published online from these partners, ensuring help and advice was still available and easily accessible for those who need it.

Back to this year and the Caring Roadshows restarted with 19 events taking place between May and August across Newark, Nottingham, Retford, Worksop, Hucknall, Ashfield and West Bridgeford.

It’s clear that no matter what is thrown at him, Trevor is committed to helping others, dedicating over a decade to supporting unpaid carers across Gedling Borough, Nottinghamshire and further afield.

If anyone sums up what these awards are all about, it’s Trevor, and I’m proud to announce this evening that Trevor Clower is this year’s Pride of Gedling Lifetime Achievement award winner.