Thank you,

I would first like to say I've always got much more pleasure from giving than receiving but on this occasion I really do accept this award with a warm heart & thank you all so much.

Anyone I can help usually gets it, “that’s just me, our door is always open 24-7 for friends and neighbours.” So, how did I get here? A neighbour, of mine two years ago was alone, being threatened, bullied and victimized, asking if my husband and I could help her out. “How could we refuse?”

It took quite a while before the bullies got the message that we were not going to let them get away with their behaviour.  Soon this message filtered around our estate and we three became 4,5,6 and  now 12 as others decided to join us to bring about change. Over the last few years, yes, we have been verbally abused in the street, threatened with violence, fire bombing and more, but we never gave up.

Some neighbours would even creep over to my house late at night, to express their support for what we were doing, yet afraid of being seen and in turn of their own families being bullied.

Our group became the Kingsmere Community Association. We have our own community hall where we have worked hard to set up a Saturday Morning Picture club which is the only film club dedicated to young people in the country, now shortlisted for two British Federation of Film Societies awards. We have two youth clubs & an I.T. suite opening twice a week to help with homework and computer lessons.

What we have actually achieved is a first class example of Social Capital, where a dedicated group of people have set up an association to try and bind the community together to bring about change.

The neighbourhood partnership has been instrumental in helping us achieve this change, without the members we would not have achieved all that we have and I would not be here today.

So thank you to those partners, our landlords, PFP, in particular Mark Viggars and Steve Adams, Raglan and Southern Horizon housing associations, our councillors, county councillors, the chairman, Mr Nigel Waterson M.P., the police and of course all the community association members.

My biggest thank you is for my husband, who has been a constant rock of support, putting up with burnt dinners (and other minor disruptions!) while I am on the phone for far too long helping someone out or organising the next event on Kingsmere.

Thank you.