Housing charity thanks community stars

Awards are handed out to people who shine bright in their local communities

Social landlord Coastline Housing has given out a number of awards to people living in communities within Cornwall who really make a difference in the lives of others.

The housing charity’s Customer at the Heart Awards were given out at a ceremony in Redruth. Recipients were all nominated by friends, neighbours and other community figures.

Seren Blackmore from Padstow was crowned Young Hero for all the litter picking she has done over a number of years to keep her neighbourhood clean. Seren and family live near a communal park that for some time did not have a litter bin. She would often fill carrier bags of litter and bring them home to dispose of, even when she became too old to use the park herself. Seren has also helped other children who were experiencing bullying in the park, stepping in to give them support.

A Partnership Working Award was given to Izzy MacQueen who runs 7^th Rise, an eco-friendly venue delivering wild experiences in nature on the Fal River. Some of Coastline’s homeless clients and colleagues met Izzy during a foraging workshop at 7^th Rise and she was keen to find out what else she could do to help Coastline’s Homeless Service further. She generously offered free use of her venue each month for clients. The impact this has had on the wellbeing and confidence of many clients has been described as phenomenal.

Hussain Layne, a volunteer of Coastline’s Homeless Service, was given the Your Next Step award in recognition of the journey he has been on personally and the ways in which he has helped clients at the service. He has been integral to a garden transformation project, helping to turn an overgrown and disused area into a multifunctional activity space that lots of people have since benefited from. Hussain was also given a Partner Programme Award for his hard work in establishing a newsletter for the Homeless Service and being a representative for other voices on different resident groups and focus sessions.

A Green Champion award was given to Dermot Dooley from Bodmin for his hard work cutting the grass and maintaining the wild hedges and field in front of his property for children in the neighbourhood to use as a safe space for outdoor games. He also helps many other people in his area to maintain their own gardens and is always keen to plant things that keep the birds, bees and other insects happy.

Community Volunteer of the Year was won by Tim Davis of Truro who has volunteered at Coastline’s Homeless Service since 2019. Tim organises local walks, encouraging people to get active and spend time in nature. These have proved so popular they evolved into weekly ‘Explore Cornwall’ walks. This sees groups of people going on walks across the county to discover and learn about new areas.

A love of card games led to Jeanette Evans from Redruth volunteering at Coastline’s Miners Court Extra Care scheme, offering to teach people in the Day Centre how to play. Jeanette spent a couple of Monday afternoons teaching people how to play different games and it became so popular that the sessions now happen on a weekly basis and people really look forward to them. Jeanette was awarded the Miners Minder Award for her patience, positivity and the laughter she brings with her each week.

The Good Neighbour Award was given to Kimberley Croft who spends his time tending the garden, picking up litter, weeding and growing vegetables for others to eat in his local community. He attends group sessions and classes on a regular basis because he knows it will encourage others.

Joe Ferguson from Helston was given a special Long Service Award for his involvement in Coastline’s activities over many years. He was nominated for being a real inspiration, working with the landlord to bring about positive outcomes for his fellow customers.

Allister Young, Chief Executive of Coastline Housing, gave out the awards alongside retiring Chair of Coastline Steve Harrison. Allister said: “It’s one of the highlights of my year to be able to hand out these accolades and meet so many inspiring people. Each and every person nominated deserves true congratulations for the impact they have had on their local community, neighbours and others. They are an example to us all."

Anyone wishing to get involved with Coastline’s volunteer programme or other customer groups can find out more at the charity’s website.