LOCKDOWN HEROES have been recognised for their efforts in the last acts of the 673rd Hedon Mayor Councillor Colin Billany. He has presented two Shields of Hedon to Inmans School for their Helping Hands Project and to George Ward of Fresh ‘n’ Fruity for his volunteer shop delivery scheme.
The Hedon Shields are special awards given by Hedon Mayors to recognise good and outstanding service given to the town and its people.
Inmans Helping Hands
Hedon Inmans Primary School under headteacher Mrs Sue Fellows launched their Helping Hands community meals project in the first weeks of the national lockdown in recognition of the fact that many local residents faced a struggle to shop, collect essential items and cook nutritious meals. Helping Hands was set up to help those in need by delivering home-cooked meals, shopping for those struggling and collecting and delivering prescriptions. The meals were cooked in the school kitchen and delivered by volunteer drivers. The meals service proved so popular that it was extended from three days a week to five. The costs of the meals were kept as low as possible but a small surplus obtained enabled the school to buy a life-saving community defibrillator in June 2020.
As a lasting legacy of the community response to the pandemic, the Inmans Helping Hands is now a formal charity. One of the founding Charity Trustees is Chair of the School Governors Dave North accompanied Mrs Fellows and the school student council members to accept the Shield from the Mayor and Mayoress.
George Ward Deliveries.
Mr George Ward proprietor of Fresh ‘n’ Fruity Hedon is one of those ‘unsung heroes’. Quietly and behind the scenes he helped orchestrate a local community response to the Covid-19 crisis of 2020. As the owner of a business already providing essential fruit and vegetable supplies, during the first lockdown of 2020 he used his knowledge of his customers to help identify those who might be more vulnerable. He mobilised a team of volunteers to ensure that deliveries of essential supplies reached those who might otherwise have experienced neglect.
George is also the organiser of Hedon Market, and Councillor Billany and his wife Yvonne caught up with George at the market last Wednesday (19 May) to present his Hedon Shield.
