This year’s Community Award’s were announced by the Parish Council on Wednesday 19th April at the Annual Parish Meeting held at Cheddar Community Pavilion. Awards were presented on the night by Chairman Derek Bradley-Balmer to the worthy winners; Martin Kay on behalf of the Parkrun volunteers, and Grant Garge on behalf of Ride Mendips.
Both recipients were instrumental in their respective projects and were recognised for their efforts by Members:
Martin was the initiator and driving force behind the setting up of the Cheddar Parkrun at Sharpham Road Playing Fields. He liaised with national and regional Parkrun officials, worked out the 5K route, and led the recruitment of volunteers and the efforts to source funding. He persevered through the delays and setbacks of the Covid pandemic. The first event was in September 2021, since when there have been over 70 events, with an average of almost 100 participants each week. He is supported by a strong team of volunteers, but it needs a leader and driver to get things done. Martin was that individual. Parkrun is a great activity to get people of all ages and abilities out in the fresh air, exercising on a Saturday morning. It also brings visitors to Cheddar to see what great facilities there are at the playing fields.
Grant was the inspiration and driving force behind the campaign to get the pump track at Sharpham Road Playing Fields. He chairs Ride Mendips, which was established in 2018, first to create mountain biking routes and from which the project team for the pump track was formed. Grant was the driving force, seeking out and persuading funders to support the c£100,000 project, liaising with the Parish Council and other key parties and briefing the track designers. Through his unwavering belief in the project, tenacity and sheer personality he steered the project through to meet the varying demands and time pressures of all the organisations involved. The pump track opened in spring 2022 and is proving very popular with young people in particular, a good companion activity to the skate park. It gets people out in the fresh air exercising and is a great asset for the village.
Congratulations to them both.