Nominations have opened in Peasedown St John for the village’s Sara Holley Community Award, launched four years ago in memory of one of the it’s most popular characters.
In April 2011, resident Sara Holley, who was well known and respected for her love of the community, unexpectedly passed away at the age of forty-two.
Over many years she played a key part in numerous community projects, including her involvement with the first Party in the Park festival in 2009.
To remember Sara, the Party in the Park festival team, in conjunction with her family, introduced the Sara Holley Community Award.
Sara’s sister, Sally Fricker, commented: “Speaking on behalf of all the family, we are grateful to the Party in the Park team for organising the Sara Holley Community Award.
“I know that my sister loved the village and would have felt great pride having a community award named after her.”
In order to be nominated as a potential recipient of the award, candidates must have:
- Showed a visible display of community activism in Peasedown St John for, at least, the previous 12 months;
- Carried out their public service in a voluntary capacity with no financial gain;
- Demonstrated a considerable amount of community activism that has made a difference to other members of the local community.
Chairman of Peasedown’s Party in the Park, Nathan Hartley, said: “As a Peasedown native, Sara loved our village immensely and always wanted the very best for it, and for those that live here.
“Those that had the pleasure of knowing Sara will have many happy memories that they’ll cherish forever.
“She is missed by everyone who had the opportunity to meet her, and those who are active in the community can continue to make the village she loved a better place.”
The award itself will be presented at the village’s Party in the Park festival on Saturday 13th June, and the recipient will be selected by Sara’s family.
The event will see the award presented for the fifth time, and specially for this year is being sponsored by Bath Aqua Glass – the specialist glassblowers based in the city of Bath.
Managing Director Annette Dolan said: “It’s with great pleasure that we are sponsoring the Sara Holley Community Award this year.
“We’re extremely pleased that for the fifth year running we have been able to provide a valuable service to Peasedown St John by blowing and engraving this highly recognised honour.
“Bath Aqua Glass has been a key player in working with the local community, in and outside of the city, since we opened in 1996.
“Our bespoke service of glassblowing and design attracts many tourists to the area each and every year.
“As well as the shop next to the Abbey, we host a theatre in Walcot Street and showcase the skills of glassblowers and stained glass artists in demonstrations.”
In 2011 the Sara Holley Community Award was won by Andrew Day – a member of Peasedown St John Methodist Church who set up a Tuesday night youth group to provide more activities for local youngsters.
In 2012 Joy Gosz was selected to win the Award after spending much of the last twenty years running a variety of community initiatives and projects for local people.
Two years ago, husband and wife team Martin and Lisa Smith picked up the award for the tireless work they have done to encourage teenage boys to get involved with football.
They run Peasedown Youth Albion – the village’s youth football team.
Last year, in recognition for an outstanding seven decades of voluntary work in Peasedown St John, Ken Wilcox won the award for his efforts to make Peasedown Cricket Club the thriving establishment that it is today.
More details about the previous winners can be found at the festival website.
Any member of the community can nominate anyone they believe meets the criteria.
All nominations must be received by the Party in the Park team by 5pm on Thursday 4th June.
The Management Committee and Sara’s family will then use the criteria set to go through the nominations.
Nomination forms can be collected by:
A) Contacting Nathan Hartley through [email protected],
b) Downloading a copy from www.peasedownpartyinthepark.org.uk, or
c) Picking up a one up from The Coffee Hut, Bath Road.
