Civic award winners honoured at town meeting

Mayor cllr Adrienne Westbrook with Jo Bayliss from Waitrose; Hilary McFall and Kay Perry from Melksham Foodbank, Bev Viveash from Crazy about Knitting; film-maker Ashlea Forgacs; Tracy Haslam and Bernie Dunn from Brunswick Park; Kathy Iles and Bruce Petty from Southwest in Bloom Melksham; Sharron Thayer and Gemma Connolly from Young Melksham; Mayor’s cadet Lewis Parsons Green; and Dr Rob Matthews.

MELKSHAM’S Civic Award winners were officially presented with their awards at last month’s Annual Town Meeting.

The awards were originally planned to be handed out at the Mayor’s reception in March, which was postponed to the arrival of Storm Emma and blankets of snow.

Eight awards across the two categories of ‘Community Service’ and ‘Enhancing Melksham’ were presented to individuals and groups who have made a ‘significant contribution to the local community during the previous year.’

Four Community Service awards were given to Melksham Foodbank, Dr Rob Matthews, Young Melksham and Crazy About Knitting.

Waitrose employee Jo Bayliss, Primrose Drive Action Group, Tracy Haslam and Southwest in Bloom Melksham earned the Enhancing Melksham award.

Mayor, cllr Adrienne Westbrook, also announced that the Mayor’s cadet from Melksham Area Training Corps is Cadet Lewis Parsons Green, who will assist her at civic functions for the forthcoming year.

At the Annual Town Meeting, award-winners and attendees were treated to a performance from Melksham’s Macapello Community Choir. The Mayor also showed a documentary made by Melksham film-maker, Ashlea Forgacs, titled ‘Mental Health – You’re Not Alone’.

The film, which premiered last year at the Odeon cinema in Trowbridge, was made by Ashlea to promote mental health issues after suffering from anxiety herself.