TWO recipients were provided with the Richard Fox Award in recognition of their service to the local community over the past couple of years.

The awards were handed out by Janet Lloyd, mayor of Wellington Town Council, during the Civic Service that took place on Sunday, October 19, at St John’s Parish Church, Wellington.

The Richard Fox Award, which was created in 2024, is given annually to a person who exemplifies the voluntary spirit that the late Richard Fox showed throughout his life.

The two winners of the award were Rosie Walker, of The Woodland Trust, and Sam Southam, from Falcon Rural Housing.

The reason for there being two recipients of the award is due to mayor Lloyd not having a Civic Service during her 2024/25 Mayoral term.

Ms Walker received the award in recognition of her dedication on the Green Corridor Woodland Creation Scheme, where more than 3,000 trees and shrubs were planted on land that stretched from Fox Fields in Tonedale to the Basins.

She devised the project within her role at The Woodland Trust and put in a lot of personal time to ensure the project was completed.

Ms Walker was noted as having been out in all weathers, guiding volunteer planters and even getting stuck into planting trees herself.

Sam Southam received the award in recognition of her work during the campaign to save two homes in Wellington that are ran by Abbeyfield Living Society after it was announced that would be closed.

With Ivy House and The Vicarage providing more than 50 supported living flats for old people, Ms Southam used her expertise to work with the Town Council to convince Abbeyfield not to close the two homes, which would prove to be a successful endeavour.