Community Awards Winners 2023
Rebecca Barker and Anne Haines were each presented with Community Awards by parish council chairman Mike Dennett, on Monday.
This annual publicly-nominated award is presented for outstanding time and energy devoted to the village over many years.
The locally-made award plates aim to capture the essence of the recipient’s contribution.
Rebecca’s award recognises her role as a founding member of Mortimer Village Partnership, former chairman of the parish council and laying on coach trips to London shows. She’s also played a central part at Mortimer Lunch Club (itself a winner of West Berkshire Community Award 2022) and organised the “Bags2School” clothes collection, that raises vital funds for our two schools.
In the 1980s Anne ran a pre-owned children’s clothes market in her kitchen. After retiring from a career in nursing, and inspired by her mother in law’s voluntary work, she became a stalwart of Mortimer WI, where she led giving toiletry bags for emergency hospital admissions. She’s collected & delivers prescriptions for those unable to and been a central part of Mortimer Flower Circle – a member for about 45 years and chairman for 20. She helped the COVID vaccination programme at Pangbourne, helps with the Mortimer Baby and Toddler group and is a Handybus escort for transport to Lunch Club. In her spare time she looks after her grandchildren. Her plate reflects her love of flowers.
