Issue 320 – Mike is Frome’s Person of the Year

FROME’S Person of the Year 2010 is Mike Hall, who keeps the town’s streets clean and was praised for his cheerful and friendly manner.

Mike has been employed to clean the streets of Frome for the last six years. However, his work for the town often goes far beyond the call of duty and his supporters praised his dedication to keeping the streets clean, even when not officially on duty, such as in the earlier heavy snow falls.
Mike said, “Thank you very much! A lot of people have said thank you to me for the work I do and I’m really quite chuffed. I think it’s the hard work I do, but also for being polite and my personality. I do it because I work for the people of Frome. If you’ve got a place clean and tidy, people actually respect it all. I’m proud of what I do – keeping the place tidy and I think people appreciate that.”
Ian Drew, editor of the Frome Times presented the winner’s shield to Mike last week. Ian said, “I’d like to congratulate Mike on being this year’s winner of the ‘Person of the Year’ competition. All of the nominees work extremely hard for their local community and they all have reason to be proud. We hope this award helps to highlight all the fantastic work which is carried out to help make Frome such a great town.”
This year’s runner-up was Val Carpenter, a receptionist at Frome Community Hospital, for her voluntary work for the Friends of the hospital and Frome Carnival. Third place was won by Dave and Shirley Wort, who this year are marking 10 years of fundraising for the charity CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) in memory of their son, Julian.
The other candidates were; Diana Bowen, chair of Coalway Lane Residents’ Association; Diana Burroughs, volunteer for church and young people; Rosie Eliot, community fundraiser for Frome-based charity Positive Action on Cancer; life-time volunteer Marjorie Morris; Lloyds Pharmacy employee, Trevor Phillips; Frome’s youngest female mayor and fundraiser, cllr Helen-Sprawson-White; and popular postman, Scott Whittock.