THE EFFORTS of volunteers from across Newport were recognised at the annual Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations (GAVO) awards ceremony.

In a night of celebration at the Coldra Court Hotel on Wednesday, the work of community groups throughout the city and the selfless actions of Newport residents were recognised and praised.

GAVO was founded in 1927 and was set up to develop and promote voluntary and community action throughout the Gwent region.

In attendance were Mayor of Newport City Council Cllr William Routley, the High Sheriff of Gwent Dame Claire Clancy, and the Lord Lieutenant of Gwent Brigadier Robert Aitken.

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Brigadier Aitken said the stories of the selfless actions on show at the awards were “an inspiration to us all.”

He said: “One of the reasons events like this are so important is we are all going home tonight feeling so much better about people in general. We have witnessed a number of examples of selflessness, with people giving up their time and effort to help other less fortunate people.

“Any one of the people nominated for awards could have easily won them, and there are a lot of people out there doing great work that weren’t nominated for a prize.

“They are all an inspiration to us all.”

South Wales Argus:

(David Crowson of The Cwtsh, winner of the Trustee Award at the GAVO awards. Picture: GAVO)

Speaking at the awards, Cllr Routley said: “A lot of organisations who do good don’t talk about it and I think we need to take opportunities like this to celebrate how good these organisations are.

“We are going through difficult times in this country, but collaboration and teamwork are how we are going to get through this.

“From the bottom of my heart I’d like to thank everyone here so much. I’m humbled by being here and I wish you every success.”

South Wales Argus:

(Help the Homeless Newport and Cardiff receive their Highly Commended award in the Volunteer Group category at the GAVO awards. Picture: GAVO)

Following the event, GAVO CEO Martin Featherstone said: “It’s been a successful evening and a celebration of what volunteers contribute in Newport.

“What we have seen here tonight is just a small sample of the volunteering that goes in in the city.”

The full list of winners:

  • Young Volunteer Award: Holly Waite (Volunteering Matters) for her work helping young women with learning difficulties find employment.
  • Adult Volunteer Award: Loren Henry (Urban Circle Productions) for her dedication in engaging with, supporting and empowering young people and communities in Newport.
  • Environmental Volunteer Award: Gwent Levellers for their work maintaining the Gwent Levels and ensuring it is accessible to thousands of children.
  • Trustee Volunteer Award: David Crowson (The Cwtsh) for his instrumental role in developing the Cwtsh Community Arts Centre.
  • High Sheriff’s Award: Helping Caring Team for their work helping the homeless in Newport.
  • Good Neighbour Award: Jean Miles for volunteering in the community for more than 16 years, and Tariq Khan for his work helping the homeless in Newport..
  • Volunteer Group Award: The Hub Newport for their work helping recovering drug and alcohol addicts.
  • Personal Journey Award: Ayesha Khan for her fundraising work for a number of charities including Shine and Whizz Kidz.
  • Inspirational Volunteer Award: David Taylor for his work with young people in the community and Mairwyn Winnel for her voluntary work at The Hub in Newport.
  • GAVO Chairman’s Award: William Then for volunteering seven days a week in Newport for a range of charities while he has been unable to work.