Cheddar Community Group Awards are presented

At Cheddar's Annual Parish Meeting a number of community groups received awards for the support they have given during the pandemic.

There was no meeting in 2020 because of lockdown and this year the annual meeting was held via Zoom because of government restrictions.

The meeting opened with the chairman's report on parish council activities since 2019, following which vice chair, Councillor Lyn Goodfellow announced the winners of the community service awards, which are presented to individuals or groups who have given exceptional service to the community.

Elaine Reynolds received an award on behalf of Cheddar Valley Foodbank. A founding member of the food bank in 2013, Elaine now leads a team of more than 20 volunteers, whose food distribution demands have increased markedly in the past year.

The Corona Cheddar Valley Support Group was set up just before the first lockdown in March last year to provide support, particularly shopping and collecting prescriptions, for individuals unable to get out themselves.

The three founders - Simon Childs, Julian Sayer and Mike Belch - received the award on behalf of scores of volunteers who have made the group so successful.

The staff of Court House Retirement Home in Cheddar selflessly left their own homes to live in full-time with the residents for several months early in the pandemic to protect them from Covid-19, without regard for their own health.

The final community service award went to members of the Axbridge to Cheddar Cycle Walkway. These volunteers have maintained this vital section of the Strawberry Line for many years to the benefit of the whole community. All the groups received special certificates acknowledging their outstanding efforts.

Following the service awards parish council chairman Peter Colton then announced the grants being awarded to local organisations.

Firstly £1,000 towards the running costs of Cheddar Youth Club which is due to commence face to face meetings again shortly.

Cheddar Vale Lions were given two awards; the first of £1,000 towards their Youth IT project which involves repurposing laptops and tablets for local families, a scheme supported by all three Cheddar schools.

Their second award was for £500 towards the club's Operation Easter Bunny, in which they gave a card and chocolate egg to every resident of local care and residential homes, plus a tin of chocolates for the staff, to bring a smile to their faces.

Cheddar Community Partnership was awarded £250 for their Wild Cheddar project which aims to encourage local people to create wild life gardens.

Finally the parish council awarded £500 to the Methodist Church towards the upkeep of their cemetery.