Anna-Marie Goodacre is the co-founder of Stanwell Foodbank and Stanwell Events. As a charity, Stanwell Events promotes and organises events and community projects to the residents of Stanwell, with the aim of benefiting the residents of Stanwell, no matter their situation. Stanwell Foodbank operate a surplus food project twice a week that is open to all individuals. In 2020, they provided their community with 450,000 meals.  

Anna-Marie was nominated for this award for her exceptional leadership, unwavering dedication and her ability to inspire and mobilise her volunteers. Anna-Marie’s tenacity in overcoming obstacles has enabled the Foodbank to flourish. She has successfully managed hundreds of community projects and events, whilst fostering a sense of camaraderie and collective purpose.  

Alongside all this responsibility, Anna-Marie has raised her own family, mastering the juggling of personal and professional life. She exemplifies the spirit of commitment and success.  

Her vision and leadership have been pivotal in steering the organisation towards success. Her commitment, sacrifice, passion and perseverance inspire all she reaches.  

Anna-Marie Goodacre, Linda Millin and Ian Millin also received the Spelthorne Mayor’s Cup for their work with the Stanwell Foodbank.  

The Mayor’s Cup is awarded each year to a local group that has achieved remarkable things throughout the year. Stanwell Foodbank achieved their dream of re-developing and extending their community building which will enable them to offer more activities, more support and a community hub for local support services. All of this was with the goal of supporting local residents to feel part of a warm and welcoming community. We applaud their efforts and determination to raise funds, engage builders and project manage the build, all whilst continuing to offer community meals from a temporary premises. We are excited to see what the new building enables Anna-Marie, Ian and Linda to achieve and the presentation of the Mayor’s Cup is a recognition of their hard work and determination to support others.

Catherine Foster volunteers at the Thursday Club, at The Hub in Englefield Green. The club supports children from some of the most deprived areas of Runnymede, with a wide range of activities such as arts and crafts, indoor sports and creative play.  

Catherine has been described by her group as one of the kindest and most hard-working volunteers in the community, creating a safe and welcoming space, where the children feel loved, important and free to be themselves. She offers support and encouragement whenever required, making each child feel seen, heard and cared for. Catherine bought each child a gift at Christmas, showing her deep love and care for the children who attend the club.   

The Thursday Club is a place of laughter, friendship and growth thanks to all the work Catherine puts into it. She has poured her heart and soul into the club, leading with enthusiasm kindness and tireless energy.  

Her influence is seen in the young people she once cared for, with many of them returning to volunteer at the club that supported them so much as young children. They come back as engaging and confident teenagers, keen to support their community and spread the same love and care they once received.  

Charlotte Laing volunteers at the Stanwell Family Centre which offers a wide range of services for families, including specialist advice, family health and well-being services, support for children with additional needs, activities and parenting courses.  

Charlotte has been volunteering at the centre for three years, inspiring families in the community to access services and support. She helps families to complete applications for disability living allowance, personal independence payments and school places. She is incredibly effective in helping parents understand the processes involved, invaluable in so many cases.  

Her enthusiasm and dedication to her volunteer role empowers families she works with to seek help, giving them the confidence they need. Charlotte also volunteers weekly at a playgroup run by the Centre, and parents say their children are often sad to leave when Charlotte has been volunteering.  

In 2025 alone, Charlotte has volunteered over 205 hours of her free time to support and empower families in her community at the Family Centre.  

Special Mention: Inspirational Volunteer Award- Amanda Preston 

Special mention was made of Amanda Preston, who sadly passed away earlier this year.  

Amanda was a long-term volunteer at St Peter’s Hospital. The team say that her legacy continues to inspire all those who had the privilege of knowing her. Her warmth and generosity touched countless lives. Amanda was a valued member of the team and made significant contributions to the Trust for many years.  

Sadly, Amanda passed away on Sunday 16th March, on Heron Ward – in the hospital she loved so dearly. Amanda’s absence is deeply felt, but her legacy continues to shine through the lives she touched. It is our privilege to pay tribute to Amanda and the time she devoted to others.  

New Volunteer Award: Cath Campbell 

Cath Campbell has been volunteering with Time to Talk since March 2024. Time to Talk is Voluntary Support North Surrey’s befriending project, aiming to tackle loneliness in our communities through building meaningful conversations and relationships.  

Cath’s compassion, patience and understanding has been key to helping her first befriendee overcome the hurdles they faced. Her help to build her confidence and put her life back together allowed the recipient to move on with her life, make decisions and gain back control.  

Cath continues to befriend two others, and by going the extra mile and having the ability to know exactly what each individual needs, she has left a lasting impression. She forms genuine friendships that bring warmth and dignity whilst recognising each person as an individual.  

Her presence is a reminder that sometimes the most powerful gift we can give is our time and attention. Cath continues to demonstrate how an act of volunteering can hugely impact a life.  

Winner Fundraiser of the Year Award: Jon Burton 

Jon Burton was the captain of Sunningdale Heath Golf Club throughout 2024, and was prolific in fundraising for the Runnymede Foodbank. The foodbank provides three days’ worth of emergency food to the local community and provided 87,039 meals in 2023.   

Jon organised monthly fundraising events at the golf club including Captain’s Drive, Captain’s Bunker, raffles and auctions. As a result of these incredible efforts, he was the top fundraiser for the foodbank, raising an outstanding £13,500 in 2024.  

Alongside his fundraising, Jon also volunteers weekly at Egham foodbank, demonstrating a kind attitude towards clients and volunteers alike. He is an essential and highly valued member of the team known for his helpfulness, commitment and reliability. 

Jon’s hard work has supported both foodbanks significantly, and we are proud to recognise him for these incredible achievements.  

Winner of Engagement in the Community Award: Ron Hayes & Son  

Ron Hayes & Son are described as bringing happiness to the community, and the inclusive, giving tone they have provides guidance to the local businesses around them. They have organised an annual Midsummer event in New Haw for the last 20 years, bringing community groups and businesses together. They have also been the voice behind the Christmas equivalent, instrumental in the logistics and organisation of the event. 

In addition to the events they organise, one of their members has been a prolific fundraiser for Red Nose Day for more than 10 years. In this time, he has raised more than £12,000 and in honour of this achievement, they were awarded with the Lenny Award in 2025. This award is Comic Relief’s highest accolade and is awarded to one individual each Red Nose Day.  

Ron Hayes & Son are also great supporters of the newly established New Haw Litter Pickers, storing equipment and bins for their use. They are a pillar of the community in the truest sense of the words and have inspired a culture of kindness, support and collaboration amongst many local shops and businesses.   

Winner of Volunteer Team Award: UCE Charity Bookstall 

Despite losing two key members in 2024, the charity bookstall run from f United Church Egham, has continued to go from strength to strength. Once again, they have raised just over £20,000, with all net profits donated to charities based in or supporting people in Runnymede and Spelthorne. Since it began in 2000, the bookstall has raised over £185,000.  

The Charity Bookstall is run solely by volunteers, many of which with no links to the church, who give their time and effort freely to promote the bookstall and bring in more volunteers and customers.  

In total, 22 charities were supported, with the monthly charity partners each receiving a guaranteed £500. Additionally, at the end of the year, volunteers are asked to nominate local charities to receive the balance of the profits. The charities they support operate in all different sectors, showing just how important their fundraising work is.  

In 2025, the coordination team have increased the number of regular charities supported to 15, and in February and March this year, raised record sums.  

Winners of the Long-Service Award (10+ years)

Each year we are delighted to be able to recognise all volunteers who have been instrumental in supporting their communities for ten or more years. We would like to celebrate each and every one of these passionate, inspiring and dedicated volunteers, so have awarded all of them for this category.  

• Mark Griffiths- 1st Egham Scout Group: 14 years 
• Jayne Matthews- Witness Service: 16 years 
• Joyce Laptalis- Witness Service: 16 years 
• Julia Gibbs- Spelthorne Museum, Spelthorne Archaeology and Local History Group: 45 years 
• Nick Pollard- Spelthorne Museum, Spelthorne Archaeology and Local History Group: 45 years 
• Beryl Christopher- White Lodge: 25 years 
• Adrian Elston- Chertsey & Addlestone Good Neighbours: 10 years 
• Di James- CARE in Egham: 40 years 
• Jenny Sice- Home-Start Spelthorne: 30 years 
• Anne Damerell- Home-Start Spelthorne: 30 years 
• Michael O’Sullivan- Chertsey Combined Charities: 50 years  
• Ashford and St Peter’s Hospital Volunteers: 10, 15 and 20+ years 

Special Recognition Award: Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospital Volunteers  

Our judges felt that this year, the incredible group of volunteers at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospital deserved special recognition. In particular we would like to highlight: 

The extraordinary, dedicated volunteers who have all served for at least ten years, some giving more than 15 or 20 years of voluntary service. The team has consistently gone above and beyond, from welcoming visitors to assisting on the wards, to offering companionship and comfort to patients in the ICU. Their presence is felt in every corner of the hospital, and their impact is described as immeasurable. What unites this group is not only the length of their service, but the heart with which they serve. Come rain or shine, they show up- bringing light and comfort in moments of need, offering a listening ear, and providing familiarity and calm during often difficult times. They are not just volunteers- they are the soul of the hospitals. Each member brings something unique, and they lift one another up to ensure that no task is left undone. Their mutual respect and unwavering commitment to service are genuinely inspiring.  

They  also attract  new volunteers- Francis Fernandez joined a year ago and is already showing outstanding commitment and compassion in his role in the A&E department. He offers refreshments to patients with consistent kindness, patience and empathy. Through a seemingly simple gesture, his presence has brought immense comfort to patients during what can be a stressful and uncertain time. His small acts of kindness make a huge difference, and he is an ideal ambassador for the hospital and an excellent role model for new volunteers.  

And finally, Radio Wey. A hospital and wellbeing radio station which celebrates  60 years of broadcasting this year. The station is run by over 40 volunteers covering a range of activities such as presenting, engineering and fundraising. Volunteers also visit the wards, collecting requests from patients and family members to play live on air. The members come from all walks of life, airline crew to students, IT specialists to professors, with ages ranging from 18-91. Their longest standing member- Jim Coombe- has an incredible 55 years of service under his belt and still presents a weekly show called Gramophone Greats. Radio Wey provides 70 hours a week of live and recorded shows covering all musical genres, local news and health programmes.