The Mayor of Farnham, Councillor David Attfield presented Services to Farnham Awards to 12 community heroes at a reception on Monday 25 February.

The annual awards are made to individuals in recognition of their outstanding service to the community and the people of Farnham.

Each recipient was nominated for the award by a member of the public, colleague or family member. The nominations were considered by a small judging panel and endorsed by councillors at the Full Council meeting in January.

Dance, healthcare, the environment, music and sport are just some of the areas to have benefited from the involvement of the 2019 Services to Farnham recipients.

Biologist Dr Martin Angel has devoted years to recording and sharing his knowledge of Farnham’s natural environment. One of his key achievements was the recording of 900 moth species in one area which equates to one third of the species to be found in the UK.

Long serving GP Dr David Brown has been awarded for services to healthcare in Farnham. Fundamental in the creation of the first integrated care team, Dr Brown was cited for his ‘drive to provide the highest standard of community medicine and new and better ways to deliver effective community health care for the benefit of all who live in Farnham’.

Described as having a ‘passion to help people in the community to connect through participation in dance’, Rachel Deadman has been honoured for services to Farnham through dance. Rachel specialises in providing dance programmes for boys and young people who do not normally have the opportunity to access dance. She is also the driving force behind the dance which is performed before the judges of Farnham in Bloom.

Philip German received an award for services to Farnham through scouting. He has been the District Commissioner for Farnham Scouts for over eight years and under his leadership, the number of scouts and leaders has increased. Philip will leave a lasting legacy for Farnham with a rejuvenated Garner’s Field Activity Centre.

Farnham’s Remembrance Sunday parade is executed with military precision thanks to the work of Iain Hunter. Iain has been the Secretary of the Farnham branch of the Royal British Legion for almost ten years and during this time he has fundraised for the poppy appeal, initiated an event to mark the end of the Second World War and served as the main contact between the many organisations and groups involved in the Remembrance Sunday parade.

Ten years after it was formed, the founder of the Full Circle Vocal Group has received an award for services to Farnham through music. Polly Murray has created a group which gives people of all ages a chance to get together, sing, socialise and raise money for charity. The group has a long-standing friendship with the Woodlarks Centre and has supported events for a range of charities.

Husband and wife team Valerie and Douglas Nye have been active members of The Bourne community for many years. Together, they have worked on a number of projects including the transformation of St Martin’s Hall into a thriving centre for the community and the installation of a defibrillator on The Bourne Green. They are members of the Bourne Residents’ Association and key contributors to the Bourne Beautification project which has enhanced the approach into Farnham from the A287.

Catherine Powell received an award for her services to the environment. For the past decade, Catherine has been the community’s principal champion in working to secure the appropriate restoration of the Runfold Quarry and landfill site. She has voluntarily given unstintingly of her time and energy and, as a qualified environmental engineer, she has brought a level of expertise.

Over 30 years ago, Marion Stagg was instrumental in forming the first colony of Beaver scouts in Farnham. She works tirelessly to support all the Beaver scout leaders and 200 Beaver scouts making her a worthy recipient of her award for services to Farnham scouts.

Marion Stockley has proved herself to be a great ambassador for sport in Farnham both behind the scenes and at sporting fixtures. For over 17 years, Marion has been the secretary of Farnham Sports Council and as well as organising and minuting many meetings, she has attended and supported all events organised by the Sports Council including the Farnham Community Games and Farnham Sports Awards.

An award for services to the Air Training Corps (ATC) in Farnham was presented to Flight Lieutenant William Whittenbury who has completed over half a century of service in the ATC with 36 of those years supporting cadets in Farnham. Bill is described as ‘always putting the cadets first – enabling them to have a broad and varied range of different experiences’. Bill is described as ‘a great example of a leader and has made an immense contribution to Farnham through his dedication to young people’.

Speaking after the presentation, Councillor David Attfield said: “It was an honour to present Services to Farnham Awards to 12 very deserving and inspirational individuals. I am delighted that the occasion could be shared by their friends and family – they all looked very proud.

“I feel humbled by what these people have achieved and what they continue to do in a quiet and unassuming way. They have touched and enhanced the lives of many people.  On behalf of the town, I offer my sincere thanks for their contributions to the community which continue to make Farnham so successful.”

Each of the recipients received a certificate and a medal which are sponsored by Sir Ray Tindle CBE DL.

See our Services to Farnham page to read the citations.