Steve O’Hara and Andis Senkans win Society’s 2024 Community & Environmental Star Awards

 

Mansfield Building Society’s 154^th Annual General Meeting was followed by their Community Celebration event, at Portland College, last week.

As in previous years, the Society received many nominations for their Community Star Award and new for 2024, Environmental Star Award. The quality and quantity of entries highlighted just how many phenomenal volunteers we have that dedicate their time to benefit our local communities.

The Community Star Award went to Steve O’Hara. Steve volunteers at Cornwater Evergreen, a Charity in Ravenshead, dedicated to enhancing the lives of older adults through a variety of engaging and stimulating activities and companionship.

The nomination for Steve included an extensive list of the work he does for the Charity, voluntarily. Steve’s unwavering commitment sees his role extend far beyond that of a regular volunteer, providing support and genuine friendship to members. The jobs that Steve takes on include, Community Transport Chaperone, cooking for the Brunch Club, and supporting the Charity’s Friendship Sessions, to name a few.

Peter Dickson, Manager at Cornwater Evergreen, commented:

“Steve embodies the spirit of selfless service and community support, making him a true star within our Charity and the wider community.”

The first year of the Society’s Environmental Star Award, saw Andis Senkans awarded the prize. Andis received multiple nominations, listing the hours upon hours, of his own time, that he puts into making the local community a nice place to be. Andis works tirelessly, litter picking, mowing grass, planting bulbs and organising mass clean up events.

Councillor John Coxhead explained:

“Andis has gone above and beyond in Mansfield Woodhouse over the years. His hard work and commitment to clean up our local environment has now encouraged teams of volunteers to work together to affect bigger change.”

Paul Wheeler, The Mansfield’s Chief Executive, concluded:

“Steve and Andis, exemplify the very meaning of Community and Environmental Stars. So many amongst our community volunteer their time selflessly, making it exceptionally difficult to pick between the 50+ nominations. However, this year’s winners stood out from the crowd with their remarkable contributions to the community.

As a local building society, we’re incredibly honoured to be recognising these people and the terrific work they do.”