Aylesbury Wombles voted local heroes in annual community awards

Three litter-picking volunteers from Aylesbury have won awards for helping make their community a better place.

Housing association Fairhive Homes (formerly the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust) recognised its community heroes this month. Members of the community were invited to nominate people in three different categories.

The Young Heroes awards went to Olivia Underwood, aged nine, and Oscar Townsend, 10, who belong to the Aylesbury Wombles, who help make the town a greener and cleaner place by litter picking in the villages, parks and roads across Aylesbury.

Pauline Cook, also from Aylesbury Wombles, was awarded Community Hero for being the driving force behind the Wombles becoming a bigger and better team.

The Green Hero award went to Rob Jones for his keen gardening and amazing work to improve the communal spaces in from Quarrendon, Aylesbury, where he lives, and supporting other local residents to develop their garden patch.

The final winner was Elaine Anderson, from Wendover, who won Resident Volunteer of the Year. Elaine was nominated for her great enthusiasm and eagerness towards improving services to residents through her volunteering and getting involved in national groups.

Fairhive’s community engagement officer, Caroline Drew, said: “Our community awards gives us at Fairhive Homes the chance to recognise those wonderful residents who take pride in making their neighbourhoods a special place to be, and hopefully seeing that difference will encourage others to do the same.

“It’s really what we at Fairhive are all about – working together, in partnership with our residents and their families - a real team effort.”