Vote for Frome’s Person of the Year

THE nominees for Frome Times’ Person of the Year 2018 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 online on our website – www.frometimes.co.uk – or 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 3pm next Wednesday, 23rd January.

Mike Bishop

Mike Bishop is well-known as the Town Crier, and organises and stages the Frome Town Crier Festival, which has become the largest in the country. He volunteers with the Frome Lions and Rotary Christmas Float, organising the routes.  Last year the groups raised over £13,000 for local charities. He is also a volunteer secretary for the Frome Selwood Bowls Club. 

Mike’s nomination said, “Without his and his wife Angie’s input, the task of the Christmas float would be an onerous one, but he ensures that things run smoothly. He is also out more or less every night the float is out to ensure there are no mishaps. We feel that this award would be a full and well deserved acknowledgement for all he does.”

Marilyn Burrows

Marilyn Burrows is a keen volunteer for many organisations and charity groups in and around Frome. She runs a lunch club for the elderly in Coleford for 15 people, that gives them the chance to meet with people on a regular basis. She also helped form the The Frome Widow or Widower’s Support Group that allows people who have lost a partner to engage with others who are going through similar troubles. Marilyn also fundraises for the charity Time is Precious and this Christmas, also arranged and cooked for people who were lonely over Christmas at St Mary’s Church where she runs a breakfast club once a month. 

Marilyn’s nomination said, “I’m sure I’ve only told you a handful of what Marilyn does but she is always putting people before others and helping in any way that she can. I wanted to make sure her enormous amount of voluntary work doesn’t go unnoticed.”

Lucia Chadwick

Lucia Chadwick works for the charity Active and In Touch who strive to help and befriend people who have become isolated or out of touch with the community around them. She recently gave a speech in London about the work of the charity and the current progress in Frome to end loneliness. The charity has also been on BBC’s ‘The One Show’.

Lucia’s nomination said, “In all the charities I work with, I have never met anyone quite as dedicated, compassionate and caring. Lucia works many hours, above and beyond her job role to end solitude and loneliness in the town.  Her energy, enthusiasm and dedication knows no bounds and it would mean such a lot for all the trustees, volunteers and members of Active & In Touch who have been helped and influenced by this wonderful lady.” 

Rachel Clark

Rachel Clark is an avid fundraiser for the cancer charity, We Hear You. She was recently shortlisted  in the ‘ITV Fundraiser of the Year’ category at the ‘Pride of Britain’ awards. Rachel alongside her brothers Daniel and Matthew have set the town a fundraising challenge each year in memory of their mother, who died in 2011. This year, Rachel organised the challenge for the most people to row 500m each, in a 24-hour relay, and the total  of 677 rowers have now broken the Guinness World Record, as well as raising over £7,000. Rachel’s current challenge is to run a mile-a-day for 365 days, whilst encouraging other local people to run with her and raise more funds.

Rachel’s nomination said, “Rachel is one of the most dedicated motivated people within this community. Her ability to bring people together is phenomenal.”

Gary Collinson

Gary Collinson is a busy member of the Frome community. As well as his role as town councillor, Gary helps promote local businesses, charities and schools especially related to sport and the community. He was a key member in the approval and creation of the 3G pitch installed at Selwood School and also works at Farleigh College, helping children with Asperger’s Syndrome get into sport. He has been involved in supporting youth football for over 20 years and is the operations director at Frome Town FC. He was involved in creating a partnership with Fair Frome and Frome Town FC, being involved in the Big Christmas Get Together that was held at the club on Christmas Day. 

Gary’s nomination said,  “Hopefully all I have mentioned gives you an insight into the person that Gary is. I believe I am still doing him an injustice to the sheer effort and results that Gary achieves.”

Harleigh Gomer

Harleigh Gomer  helps support  ‘Songs for the Memory’ a singing group dedicated to those who suffer with dementia. She supports her grandmother Diane every week and has raised hundreds of pounds to keep the group going. She looks after the group’s publicity and communications, setting up their popular Facebook page. Harleigh was made homeless after the Garsdale fire in Frome when she was heavily pregnant with her third child (subsequently giving birth on Christmas Day). 

Harleigh’s nomination said, “What makes Harleigh a  ‘local hero’ is that she has continued her efforts at a time of incredible challenge to her personally. She  continued to support the group with her attendance and cheerful good spirits in the face of extreme adversity. The group should be so proud to have her as a member and I feel she is deserving of wider recognition for all she has done for the community with generosity, humour, courage and determination.”

Andrew Lee

Andrew Lee has been nominated for his success in being president of the newly-formed Frome Town Rotary and part organiser of the first Frome fireworks display last year, drawing over 5,000 people and raising over £5,000 for Frome. He was also a part of the Christmas Float collection with Frome Lions. Andrew also was one of the people who founded Volunteer Frome, a database allowing people to search for volunteering opportunities in the town. He is also a former governor for Trinity First School. He was founder president of Frome Rotaract and chairman of Frome Round Table.

Andrew’s nomination said, “Andrew loves Frome.  Having moved away whilst studying and working, he chose to come back to Frome when he married and started a family. He has always given his time to the community and fundraising.”

Alison Murdoch

Last year, Alison set up the Good Heart Café, a place where you can get a tasty meal but also ‘pay forward’ for a meal for someone who can’t afford one. The café also hosts a number of groups seeking to make the town a better place. She also, alongside other volunteers, founded Zero Nights emergency shelter in Frome for those who would otherwise be sleeping rough. 

Alison’s nomination said, “She is an amazing person who has done so much good in the community since she moved to Frome. She has a wonderful combination of kindness, energy and vision, and it’s largely due to her that the emergency shelter scheme actually turned from an idea into reality.”

Veronica Roberts

Veronica is a child psychologist who has founded the I Know… collective which is a campaign to spread acts of kindness between parents and breaks down potential barriers – such as feeling unsure about how to help, or feeling unable to ask.  Veronica is hoping to evolve the campaign this year, inviting businesses to display a large badge in their stores to help parents know they understand and are willing to help if their child becomes distressed. She has also started a Facebook community for parents where she records videos of  day to day stories of parenting. 

Veronica’s nomination.  said, “Watching her videos has personally helped me enormously on days when I’m feeling low and isolated. I’m sure many others have felt the same and the more people that know about it, the more people will feel supported.” 

Ryan Wheeler

Ryan Wheeler is a professional boxer who trains for championship fights and outside the ring he finds time to fundraise for charity. He teaches young boxers the value of fitness. keeps people fit in Frome and encourages self-confidence. He recently won a Somerset Sports Champion of the Year award in the Believe in Somerset awards 2018. 

He has overcome being diagnosed with a rare bone cancer at the age of 4 years old to remain undefeated in his professional boxing career and putting Frome on the map by bringing home the British Challenge Belt. He now uses his sporting profile to raise money for cancer charities by running in charity races and to help promote businesses in and around the town. 

Ryan’s nomination said, “Ryan deserves this title as he is a well known member of Frome, he is young and has already done so much. Let’s let him know he and all he does doesn’t go unrecognised. He is a true inspiration and a very hard working young man.”