Arundel Community Awards 2020 – The Winning Community!
What does a Duke, a street cleaner, a former monk and an incredible ten-year-
old child all have in common?
- The Arundel Community Award
- Thirty-two individuals, groups and businesses have been nominated for this year’s Arundel Community Award based on their incredible work during the covid-19 pandemic
- Three exceptional individuals will receive a Lifetime Award presented by The Mayor of Arundel.
- His Grace, The Duke of Norfolk is set to present the Arundel Community Award to the final winner….. The Arundel Community!
At a time when so much hardship and suffering has been felt by so many, thirty-two individuals, groups and businesses discovered they had been nominated for the exclusive Arundel Town Community Award presented by His Grace, The Duke of Norfolk.
The award nominations this year were given to those that went ‘above and beyond’ giving outstanding support within their community during the covid-19 pandemic.
With “The Arundel Community” winning the award, nominee ten- year-old Oscar Maitland graciously accepted the cup on behalf of the community. Oscar, who managed the difficulty of the summer lockdown and his own health challenges, developed the website https://arundelgoodnews.wordpress.com/. At a time when the news has been dominated by the global challenge of Covid-19, he has been delivering his own hand-drawn posters and flyers around town to promote Good News for all, and share his love of the historic town of Arundel (especially the hidden doors, underground tunnels and secret buildings!).
Other nominees included The Arundel Book Exchange, The Kings Arms and The Arundel Surgery!
To mark such special achievements during such an unprecedented year, an historic Role of Honour artifact was commissioned. Displaying all the nominees’ names, this honorary list is to be displayed within the historic Atherley Chamber of the Arundel Town Hall.
The hanging of the Honorary Scroll will be a momentous occasion marking a huge shift in public resolve, as street cleaners, a local Fish and Chip Shop and neighbours of the elderly sit amongst the many Mayors who have served Arundel over hundreds of years dating back to 1380!
This scroll was handwritten by one of the country’s finest master calligraphist, Ste Duckett, who learnt his profession whilst in solitude of monastic life during his two years as a Cistercian monk in Leicestershire. He also served as an apprentice butler at Buckingham Palace, Blenheim Palace, Hatfield House and at Arundel Castle for the Duke of Norfolk. He sang as a countertenor at Arundel Castle as well as second assistant organist at Arundel Cathedral. He is 39 and lives in Fife, Scotland.
A Community Lifetime Achievement Award was also introduced for the first time in 2020. It was designed to recognise those who have given outstanding commitment and service to the residents of Arundel over many decades.
The Arundel Town Mayor took great pleasure in announcing the winners as Wendy Eve, Peter Knight and Eric Nash, with Arundel Town Crier, Angela Standing, reading out their citations and achievements.
All were congratulated on their truly well-deserved recognition of great service to Arundel.
A wonderful message of support from Andrew Griffith MP was also read out by The Mayor of Arundel.
The Arundel Community Awards is an annual celebration of the often life-changing impact inspirational people can have on their community.
Previously, nominees have been invited to the annual Community Award presentation ceremony at the Town Hall where the award winner is announced. However, in light of public health guidelines, a small private ceremony took place within the grand Atherley Chamber of the Town Hall overlooking the beautiful Arundel landscape on Wednesday 09 December.
With invitees including His Grace, The Duke of Norfolk, Mayor of Arundel Tony Hunt, Arundel Town Crier Angela Standing, Mace Bearer Iain Stirling, Arundel Town Clerk Carolyn Baynes, the three Lifetime Award Winners and the very special child and founder of the Arundel Good News website Oscar Maitland, it really was an extra special Community Awards Ceremony and one that truly reflected the incredible support shown by so many during the covid-19 pandemic.
The Mayor of Arundel said, “2020 has been a difficult year for all of us. But it has also been an inspiring year. I had the privilege of reading all the nominations for the 2020 Community Awards and they tell wonderful stories of what people have done for each other. So many people went ‘above and beyond’. That’s why we asked Oscar to accept the Community Award on behalf of the whole community. And the Roll of Honour, that will hang in the Town Hall, honours not only those whose names are inscribed on it, but everyone who has supported his neighbour in Arundel in 2020.”
An Arundel Community Award film will be released shortly for the community showcasing the award ceremony, interviews with the winners, the making of the scroll and how the awards were engraved, to then be broadcast to those unable to be there on the day. Photographs also mark the occasion.
Photography by Nigel Cull