THE work of the town's unsung heroes has been celebrated in the Pride of Maldon Awards 2021.

Maldon Town Council hosted its first ever online awards ceremony on Wednesday evening (28 April), hosted by Master of Ceremonies, Councillor Mark Heard.

The Town Mayor, Councillor Abdul Hafiz, had invited nominees, those who made nominations and members of the town council to join the ceremony.

With so many worthy candidates to choose from, the panel had a difficult job choosing who would receive the six awards.

This year was quite different from any other, with guests attending by Zoom and muted so the awards could be presented by town councillors.

The Town Mayor was delighted to present the prestigious Pride of Maldon Award 2021 to Suzanne Finch for the outstanding work she does within the town. Suzanne has assisted with the design and maintenance of many of the open spaces in Maldon and this includes leading volunteer and 'payback' groups in caring for our cemeteries and open spaces.

Throughout the pandemic, she has gone above and beyond to make these areas more attractive for local residents.

Councillors were impressed by her nomination, which stated:

"Sue has worked tirelessly and given much of her own time to make the public areas in Maldon look welcoming for residents and visitors.''

The recipients of the other awards were:

Citizen of The Year - awarded to Julie Taylor for doing an outstanding job year on year and especially during lockdown when she sent out food parcels from her own home. Julie has a huge heart and works tirelessly for the residents of Maldon.

Carer of The Year - awarded to Carol Kaylor for the way she cares for her partner and supports other groups. She is also an active member of the Maldon and Dengie Stroke Support Group and has achieved so much to raise the profile of the group throughout the district.

Educator of The Year - awarded to Carl Wakefield, Executive Principal of the Plume Academy, who has greatly raised the standards at the school and is a great ambassador for the education system and an inspiration to many.

Mr Wakefield was pleased to accept the award on behalf of the whole team at the Plume Academy, who have worked so cooperatively during the past year to support students and parents.

Community Impact Award – awarded to Samantha Young from Longfields Medical Centre, who has delivered first class support to the community during the pandemic in setting up and running the vaccination centre in Maldon so effectively.

Long Service Volunteer - awarded to Geoff Skewes for his volunteering at Wentworth school as a School Governor. Geoff has provided great support and ensured quality training and learning for teachers and pupils going above and beyond in his capacity of volunteer.

Best Business Contribution To The Community - awarded to two of the town's businesses this year.

Oliva Rosenthall from Maldon Books received the award for setting up her beautiful bookshop in Maldon and having very personal contact with all her customers.

Lucie Walker-Hutt from Silo Zero Waste was also a

worthy winner. Her shop is first of its kind in the town, creating an innovative offering to the community and providing a package free shop in Maldon to make its mark ethically.

As this was not a face-to-face awards ceremony, framed certificates will be delivered to each recipient by the Town Mayor.