By Thom Kennedy

Last updated 09:10, Friday, 14 November 2008

The winners in this year’s Cumbria Community Awards were announced at a glamorous ceremony near Penrith last night.

Young Volunteer of the Year: Naomi Hewer, 16, from Distington, with county councillor Anne Burns

• Slideshow: photos from the awards

The finalists in the competition were given their awards, designed by Cumbrian artist John Parkinson, at a special evening held at Rheged.

The winners, and all entrants, were nominated by readers of The Cumberland News, and our sister papers the News & Star, Times & Star, The Whitehaven News, and North West Evening Mail.

And a panel of judges from around the county were given the tough task of deciding on the winners.

Below are the winners of this year’s awards:

The winner in the Young Volunteer of the Year category, sponsored by Cumbria County Council Children’s Services, was Naomi Hewer from Workington.
The 16-year-old takes time out from her GCSE course work to volunteer at Distington Club for Young People.
She was nominated by the club’s youth development officer, Christine Pattinson, who described her as “a lovely girl and a great role model.”
A pupil at Southfield Technology College, Naomi was a quiet child before she joined the club, aged eight.
Now she mentors younger children, takes part in fundraising, and helps the club to secure grants, while providing a young voice for the club’s planning meetings.

The Volunteer of the Year category, sponsored by Northern Vacuums, was won by Graham Bromley.
Graham has been working for the last seven years to clean the streets of Barrow-in-Furness.
Despite suffering from chronic anxiety, Graham is a regular on neighbourhood comittees, even brushing off threats from local yobs to continue his work.
He was nominated by John Irving, of Cumbria Police, who recognised his work in making the area cleaner and greener.
Mr Irving said: “He’s putting the ‘neighbour’ back into ‘neighbourhood’.”

Kendal Life Saving Club took the prize in the Safer Communities Award, sponsored by Cumbria Constabulary.
Over the last 25 years, the club has taught more than 700 youngsters life saving skills.
PC Simone Cookson, of Cumbria Constabulary, nominated the charity group.
She said: “They are all fantastic volunteers who give up their time and do a fantastic job.”
Volunteers teach the children life saving skills, including first aid training, during the course of a ten-week-long course.

The winner in the Stronger Communities Award, sponsored by Cumbria Fire and Rescue, was The Next Generation.
The group works in Workington, bringing people together in one of Allerdale’s most deprived areas, Frostom.
At present the group is working to secure funding on a new play area on the estate, and this year they helped Moss Bay to hold its first carnival in eight years.
Workington town councillor Ann Holmes nominated the group.
She said: “Hopefully they will give they will give other people the inspiration to do something similar.”

Coniston Community Development Centre came up trumps in the Community Business Award, sponsored by Low Level Waste Repository.
The group’s manager Barbara Hill has worked hard to keep the group going, working far longer hours than the two days each week for which she is paid.
The project teaches courses in food hygiene, first aid, languages and IT, and recently secured funding to buy two laptops to help teach elderly and disabled people at home.
Anne Hall, district councillor for Coniston and Crake, nominated Barbara.
She said: “She is doing amazing work.”

Frizington volunteer Ian Stockdale took the award for Active Older People, sponsored by Adult and Cultural Services for Cumbria County Council.
Even in his seventies, he is juggling voluntary roles from a first responder to the village hall caretaker.
A retired dairy farmer, Ian also helps out at the local history group and an older person’s lunch club.
He was nominated by Emma Benson, of Age Concern in Cleator Moor, who described him as ‘a very community-minded person’.
She said: “He was really embarrassed to think that anyone would nominate him for an award.”

The Active Communities Award, sponsored by HF Holidays, was won by On Your Bike.
The Denton Holme scheme gives sheltered housing residents a chance to take part in organised bike rides alongside local families.
Homeless people, addicts and victims of domestic violence can all take part in the scheme.
It was nominated by Damien Morris, of Impact Housing Association, who said: “We decided to set up a cycling project as a way of promoting social inclusion, but also as something for local people.”

Distington Club for Young People came out top in the Children and Young People Award, sponsored by Watchtree Wheels for All.
The club has been serving Workington for more than 60 years, having opened in 1947.
Relying on volunteers to run it, more than 85 per cent of local children are members, with access to safe activities that keep them off the street.
Club Chairman Gary Hewer nominated the group for the award.
He said: “I’m very passionate about the club, especially because it served me as a young boy.”

The Greener Communities Award, sponsored by Resource Cumbria, was won by Marsh Street Arches and Garden.
What was once a patch of wasteland in the heart of Barrow-In-Furness, the garden has been created by a group of volunteers.
It now includes a children’s play area, planters, a water feature, and a barbecue, and was designed and planted by residents, working with children from local schools.
Ian Bell, a project trustee and director, nominated the project for the award.
He said: “Without a doubt (the garden) has improved the appearance of the area.”
Now open to the public, the garden is divided into three areas, a picnic area, a quiet garden, and an access promenade.

The winner of the Chairman’s Award, sponsored by the Community Unit of Cumbria County Council, was won by Margaret Bravo.
After her husband died when she was 71, Margaret devoted her life to volunteering.
And after seeing the poverty in India on television, she began sponsoring an Indian doctor, before visiting the country herself.
Since then, the pensioner has since cared for HIV children in Transylvania, lepers and blind people in India, and orphans with special needs in Romania.
But she still works on projects closer to home, and has worked on St Peter’s Pre-School in Carlisle, and is helping them to build a community garden.
Cumbria Council neighbourhood development officer Annette Grogan, who nominated Margaret, said: “She is incredibly energetic, like a little whirlwind in the office.”