Our unsung heroes!

A youngster who came out in the snow on his quad bike to help residents, and prolific volunteers were among those honoured at the Town Council Community Awards on Sunday.

Morgan Jones became a social media sensation during the bouts of heavy snow that brought the town to a standstill twice this winter.

The youngster was spotted using his quad bike to provide vital support to residents and as a result he was handed one of the five awards by the newly re-elected Mayor, Cllr Steve Kaye, following his annual parade.

“Sometimes something happens, perhaps an emergency, and someone steps up to the plate unexpectedly,” said Town Clerk, Robert Robinson at the Awards presentation. “Early in the year we had some snow falls which made it very difficult for the community to get around, leaving many stranded, particularly those of a certain age.

“But Morgan dropped everything and moved forward to help those who could not get around or get out to gain essentials. With his quad bike he helped a number of people get over this difficult period.”

Another recipient was Susan Williams who is a radiographer at Welshpool Hospital but still finds time to volunteer for the Hospital League of Friends. She has acted as secretary to this organisation for many years and contacted many businesses and organisations to arrange placement of the essential defibrillators.  She also arranged the training.

Along with this she is one of the town’s volunteer litter pickers, a warden at St Marys Church and continues to carry out many more community activities.

Youngster Lukasz Gzik was awarded for his more than 200 hours of volunteering and is also a valuable member of an after school programme where he acts as interpreter for the Polish students.

John Dover and John Corfield are both well-known local faces having supported a number of causes and events in the town, and both were also recipients.

As well as the five community awards for volunteers, there were also two Mayor Awards that were presented to long-standing teachers Russell Cadwallader and Yvonne Naylor who have “demonstrated exceptional service to the Community of Welshpool”.

“The Town Council has been recognising the great work by many people in Welshpool since 2008,” said Mr Robinson.

“It is not a competition but a recognition of great work by local people. The awards are nominated by the public and if they are considered to meet the strict criteria, to ensure a high standard, then the Councillors approve an award.”

PICTURE (courtesy of Gary Williams): The recipients pictured with the Mayor and Town Clerk.