Vote for Frome’s Person of the Year

THE nominees for Frome Times’ Person of the Year 2016 competition have been shortlisted, and now readers are being asked to cast their vote on who they think should be crowned the winner. In our last issue, The Frome Times asked readers to nominate their ‘Person of the Year’ – somebody in the town who deserves recognition for their outstanding actions over the past year or who has had the biggest impact on life in the town. Below are the shortlisted names. You can vote by simply emailing your choice to news@frometimes.co.uk (please include your own name and address) or by filling out the form on page 5 and returning it to Absolutely Fabulous Costume Hire at 20 Bath Street, Frome. The deadline for voting is 5pm next Wednesday, 25th January.

Pam Dixon

Pam Dixon joined the Frome Canoe Club 20 years ago shortly after moving to Frome. She took on the role of secretary and has remained in the post ever since.

Pam is also a coach at the club, teaching young children to canoe. She also spearheaded a fundraising campaign shortly after she joined the club to raise money to buy equipment for children and in 2007 to build a new clubhouse.

Pam said, “I’m extremely surprised to be nominated but how wonderful. Frome Canoe Club is a very good club with wonderful people – I absolutely love it. I very much enjoy the sport but mostly I enjoy helping others. I’m very passionate about young people and supporting them, because our young people of today are our adults of tomorrow.”

Pam’s nomination said, “Pam has been running Frome Canoe Club for many, many years and led the fight for the canoe club building we have now.

“She supports our  disabled paddlers and all of the rest of us, from organising events, doing the catering and encouraging and instructing the younger members.

“Pam is a volunteer who puts an enormous amount of effort into the canoe club which provides, compared to other sports, a very accessible way to get involved in sport in Frome.”

Tillie Mabbutt

Tillie runs a PANDAS pre and postnatal depression advice and support group for new and expecting parents in Frome.  Since starting the group in 2015, Tillie has helped around 50 local parents at the group’s meetings, and has 160 members in a peer support group on Facebook.

She also volunteers as a media officer for the national PANDAS charity, to which her Frome group is affiliated.

Tillie, who works as an editor for ITV in Bristol, settled in Frome two years ago with her husband and their young son. They had lived in Leigh-on-Mendip after moving from Devon a few years earlier.

Tillie said, “I suffered from postnatal depression after I had my son three years ago, and I couldn’t find any help locally – I felt like I was going through it alone.

“I set up the group in 2015 and it has gone from strength to strength since. It has definitely fulfilled a need and we get great support from the health service and local midwives, who wish they had the funding to do more.

“I was surprised to be nominated for Person of the Year and don’t expect to win, but it’s really nice to know people appreciate the group. It has been amazing for me to watch members develop.”

The person who nominated Tillie said, “I suffered with prenatal anxiety, depression and OCD and unfortunately Somerset doesn’t have many facilities to deal with this.  I felt very alone until I contacted Tillie – just having a friendly, understanding person to talk to made me feel so much less isolated.”

Wendy Miller-Williams

Wendy has been the Fair Frome co-ordinator for almost two years, having previously worked at Frome Library for 28 years.

 Wendy leads a team of volunteers and trustees on many projects in the community, projects which make a real difference to a lot of people. Fair Frome runs the town’s Food Bank and the Community Dining project – both of which are vital to hundreds of local people.

Wendy said, “When I left the library, I still wanted to work within the community and to be able to help people, so when the role at Fair Frome came up, I applied straight away.

“Working with Fair Frome is thoroughly rewarding and I love it.”

Wendy’s nomination said, “Wendy is an incredible inspiration. She worked at Frome Library for over 25 years and is now the Fair Frome co-ordinator and is key to holding together the community for its most vulnerable residents.  Wendy provides a warm and friendly welcome to all Frome residents. She is committed and passionate about her work, always doing extra hours unseen by many. She would also least expect this recognition, and it would be a wonderful testament to her.”

Julie Peet

Julie is the manager of Frome Town Youth FC Girls and organises the annual Frome Town Youth Tournament. She has also raised over £2,000 for the Julian Wort Memorial Fund which supports national charity CRY.

Julie set up the Frome Town Youth Girls teams in 2011 after going on a women’s only football coaching course. Julie said, “At the first session probably eight or nine girls turned up – now we have the girls under 9s, under 11s, under 13s and under 15s, so it’s grown and grown!

“I love coaching the kids, they make me laugh and we have so much fun. When I was young and wanted to play football, there wasn’t any opportunities for me; for girls it was all about netball and hockey. I hope I have given young girls in Frome the opportunity I never had.

“We’ve had great success as well! In 2015 we took part in the National Championships in Leicester and won!”

Julie also fundraises for the Julian Wort Memorial Fund which supports the national charity CRY.

Julie said, “I’ve ran the London Marathon twice now for CRY but now I’m looking for a new challenge to raise money. I love being part of the community and working with the young people in Frome. When it’s wet and windy, you don’t really fancy standing out on a football pitch, but once I’m out there and we’re having fun, it makes it all worth while.”

Ben Reynolds

Ben is an active member of the Frome community.  Having joined the Scouts when he was 11 years-old, 16 years later, Ben is the 1st and 7th Beaver Scout leader and has been for six years.

Ben is also a help at Frome and District Young Embroiderers Guild, on the Town Crier Festival Committee, a member of St Catherine’s Catholic Church’s fundraising and pastoral council and has been involved at Frome Museum.

Ben is a learning support assistant at Christ Church First School.

Ben said, “I’m quite surprised that someone would nominate me but of course it’s a nice surprise.  I enjoy living in Frome and so I like to give back to the community. I especially like working with young people and being able to give them opportunities.”

Ben’s nomination said, “Ben is simply amazing. His dedication to the Scout movement is impressive and he runs the 1st & 7th Beaver group which meets at the Scout Hut. For the last few years, he has also run the Cub group, often working full time and many weekends to ensure everyone can enjoy trips and interesting events. It provides opportunities for children who wouldn’t otherwise get the chance to meet Guide dogs, play drums, visit museums, try abseiling and go camping. He has such a quiet, unassuming manner and never raises his voice, even though he is surrounded by 30-40+ extremely excitable young people.”

Derek Trick

Having moved to Frome in 1973, Derek has always been committed to making a contribution to the community.

He was chairman of Frome Community College Parent Staff Association for two years and was involved in the non-musical management of the Frome Youth Choirs. He also was a founder trustee of the Frome-based GIFT Trust which helped students to undertake volunteering projects overseas, relinquishing chairmanship in 2016 after 30 years involvement.

As part of the team which restored the fortunes of the Memorial Theatre, he headed projects for the glass frontage and new seating campaigns.

As a trustee of the Friends of Frome Hospital, Derek has spearheaded a ‘first in the country’ project to install a community-wide network of life-saving publicly available defibrillators, developing a plan to ensure the maintenance for the next decade.

Currently, as part of his involvement with the Wesley Methodist Church he has embarked on a project to raise funds for the restoration of the 18th century organ.

Derek ran his own PR consultancy business for 32 years from Frome, and always used, where possible local photographers, graphic designers and printers to fulfil campaigns for national clients.

Emma Warren

Emma devotes much of her time to a number of community organisations in Frome.

For the past four years, she has led a growing  team of volunteers for Frome’s Big Christmas Get Together – a free lunch on Christmas day for anyone on their own or perhaps just wanting some company.

Emma is also a trustee at Fair Frome, the manager at Black Swan Arts and is currently working at The List magazine. Emma said, “All of the hats I wear tie in together because they are all centred on building communities in Frome. Life can be very busy and isolating but when we work together, exciting things can happen in our community.”

Emma’s nomination said, “Emma’s work every year with the Big Christmas Get Together, I particularly want to recognise. Each year Emma tirelessly brings together the most amazing group of volunteers to provide Christmas lunch to anyone who may have need of it or want company on Christmas Day. Her commitment and enthusiasm makes it a truly wonderful experience for both the volunteers and the people that participate in this event.

“It involves an enormous amount of work and Emma’s ability to pull together volunteers and engender commitment and support from a whole host of businesses and organisations within the town is a credit to her leadership.”