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Hastings Achievers Awards The Hastings Achievers Awards is an evening event which celebrates achievement by people of all ages and from all walks of life, many of them unsung heroes of our communities. ADMIRED unsung heroes were honoured at the Hastings Achievers Awards held at St Mary in the Castle on Thursday, 13th October 2011. It was a warm evening, and in front of a large and enthusiastic audience the winners received an equally warm reception as their stories were told and their achievements highlighted. Editor-in-Chief Keith Ridley said: "It's such a pity we didn't have the time to tell everyone's stories in full. "This year's winners were truly remarkable people and their contribution to Hastings has helped put heart and soul into the town. Unfortunately, with just a single evening in which to honour these remarkable individuals, all we had time to do was give a brief overview of the huge impact their efforts have made." He was joined on stage by copresenter Beverley Thompson, head of PR for Southern Water. Together, they welcomed those who had been chosen to receive highly commended and winners awards in 14 different categories, from people who work on behalf of the community to educators, animal carers, good neighbours and outstanding sports personalities. The evening's events came to a climax with the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award which was awarded posthumously to Steve Potter and received on his behalf by his wife Ellie and sons Tom and Ashley. Making a heartfelt and dignified speech, Ellie paid tribute to her husband Steve whose unflagging and inspired commitment to the people of Hastings was fondly remembered by the audience, all of whom joined in a standing ovation in tribute to his memory. Each year, the Hastings Achievers Awards sets out to recognise exceptional people, clubs and organisations from all walks of life. They celebrate the people who work day in, day out, helping to make a difference to the lives of others. Often, local heroes are the kind of individuals - or the kind of clubs or societies - who work quietly in the background, and don't demand any attention for themselves. It's for this very reason that they deserve recognition. Once the awards had been presented, the evening finished on a high note with performances from two of the region's most charismatic young stars. The wonderful 13-year-old Abbie Jones and the amazing Carl Parsons, aged 11, gave emotional and delightful performances, ending the evening in a style that paid tribute to the evening's exceptional audience. Without the involvement of our sponsors, Hastings Achievers Awards could not take place. We are delighted that they have shown such support for this event and have helped it go from strength to strength. The categories were: Contact Faiza Shafeek on 01323 414493 or |
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