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On Thursday 27 November, we proudly hosted the annual Surrey Heath Volunteer Awards at Chobham Golf Club. These awards honour the dedication, contribution and kindness of our local volunteers.
Our judging panel had to make some difficult choices with an inspiring array of volunteers and committed organisations to choose from. Each story demonstrated the wonderful compassion and community spirit of Surrey Heath residents, voluntary sector and local businesses.
This year’s winners are:
We recognised all nominees for their exceptional commitment to volunteering. Each recipient was presented with an award to honour their invaluable contributions, ensuring their dedication received the recognition it so greatly deserves.
Congratulations to all our winners and a heartfelt thanks to every nominee, as well as the countless volunteers across Surrey Heath who give their time and energy to support others.
We wanted to give a special thanks also to Surrey Heath Mayor Councillor Louise Ashbery for supporting the event, to Chobham Golf Club for their hospitality.
We invite you to learn more about our winners and their incredible achievements below.
Amarjeet Pujji from Camberley Sikh Association is dedicated to helping the community and all the members in it, be it children, young people, women with health or mental health problems or men with loneliness issues. She has given so much to the community despite her personal challenges that she faces daily.
Our winner is a retired school teacher whose students still come to her for guidance and inspiration. Amongst other things she has organised: a yoga and mindful group for women, a men’s evening group with the help of other community members; training for women in lifesaving CPR; a nutritionist and dentists to advise on health; swimming lessons for those who were seeking to learn; and signposted people towards specific social care when they needed help. She works directly with the children in her community at her own expense.
Winner of the Unsung Hero Award
Tom Philbrook gives his time selflessly to ensure that his group at Camberley & District Men’s Shed runs smoothly and remains a welcoming, supportive space for all. He is always among the first to arrive and the last to leave, greeting members with his trademark warmth and good humour.
Reliable and quietly dedicated, our winner is the person everyone turns to when something needs doing—or when something needs finding. His encyclopaedic knowledge of the group’s equipment means he’s the go-to person for advice on tools, materials, and safe use, ensuring members can work confidently and productively.
Beyond his daily contributions, our winner also plays a crucial role in many of the group’s community projects, offering practical expertise, encouragement, and hands-on help. Many of these projects—benefiting local charities, schools, and community groups—simply would not have happened without his tireless support and leadership.
Tom has been recognised for his commitment, kindness, and years of behind-the-scenes service that so often go unnoticed.
Winner of the Inspirational Volunteer Award
Ray Sharp has been nominated for his unwavering commitment and exceptional service to Polly’s Place and the wider community.
Ray started volunteering in September 2019 after retiring from 50 years as an engineer. Since then, he has consistently demonstrated reliability, steadfast support and a deep sense of purpose. His contribution goes far beyond routine support— he has spent 2-3 days per week helping with product processing, supporting service users in their work tasks, helping support families during clubs, notwithstanding countless days at weekends standing in both the heat and cold, selling the charity’s products, collecting vital funds at fund-raising events and running the Tombola tables which all enable the charity to continue its work supporting neurodiverse individuals and families and its vital bespoke training for autistic adults at its centre in Camberley.
His resilience and cheerful spirit, even in challenging conditions, have made him a familiar and respected figure. His willingness to help wherever needed, and his genuine care for others make him a true inspiration.
Ray exemplifies what it means to be a community volunteer. His actions speak volumes, and his impact is felt by all who have had the privilege of working alongside him.
Winner of the New Volunteer Award
Alan Howell joined his group in 2023 as Deputy Area Coordinator for Camberley, a short time later stepping up to become chairman of the group – a role he has continued for the last two years.
About a year ago a vacancy arose as Chairman for the overarching Surrey Association and once again Alan stepped up. He has gone on to build relationships with sister groups in all the Boroughs of Surrey Heath and strengthened the relationship with the national team and with Surrey Police.
Alan is also a Trustee at Inclusion Education which is a charitable alternative education provider offering bespoke learning for school and college with mental health and/or learning challenges.
[This award was accepted by Mike Potter on behalf of Alan Howell]
Winners of the Long-Service Award (10+ Years)
The 11 nominees in this category have over 200 hundred years of volunteering between them.
The purpose of these awards is to celebrate the magnificent kindness that exists among the people of Surrey Heath. All our long-service nominees deserve to be celebrated. However, the Judging Panel did want to give a special mention to two of the nominees:
Irene Bothomley has been a dedicated volunteer for Macmillan for over 26 years. She is also chair of the Macmillan Camberley Committee and under her leadership the group have gone to raise over £2million for Macmillan Cancer Support. Irene cares about the people who live in Surrey and wants to make sure that they have a future of cancer care that they can depend on when they need it most. She has helped to make Surrey a better place by ensuring that anyone affected by cancer knows about Macmillan and the services they have to offer.
Irene has inspired others to join Macmillan and to volunteer their time and their skills to raise as much money and awareness as possible. She is an expert at volunteer recruitment and has managed to ensure the longevity of the group is a priority by bringing in new volunteers and supporters to continue the great work she has started.
The fact that Irene is a volunteer for Macmillan, and indeed a powerful ambassador for the cause, is remarkable given how many thousands of hours she has given up freely to the cause. Her energy and commitment for Macmillan never waivers and she is the jewel in the Macmillan crown who continues to inspire and motivate others to do more for charity.
Jack Scott has volunteered for Neighbourhood Watch Newark Windlesham for over 30 years ago and has helped the local community to a high standard during stressful times, for example, during Covid. He has been a devoted coordinator for his area and attended nearly all of the Neighbourhood Watch meetings during his time. I am sure that he won’t mind me saying that – at 88 years young – it is now time to stand down. The residents of Newark Windlesham are deeply grateful for everything that he has done for their community and wish him well.
The other volunteers receiving long-service awards were:
Winner of the Volunteer Team Award
Citizens Advice Surrey Heath volunteers team are described as an unstoppable engine of a service that acts as a vital lifeline, keeping the community running smoothly when life throws its worst punches.
They are problem solvers. In the face of relentless challenges like the cost-of-living crisis, they don’t just offer advice; they provide expert-level help on complex issues like benefits, debt and housing. The training they go through is intense, making them genuine paraprofessionals who give up their time, week after week, to master the many rules and regulations and ensure the quality of their service. This level of dedication is why the advice they provide is so effective—it can be the difference between a client getting evicted and staying housed.
It’s easy to focus on the numbers, but the real impact is personal. People coming to this team are often in chaos. They are met with zero judgment and 100% compassion.
By becoming a volunteer advisor for this team, they are committing to extensive training before seeing clients and agree to ongoing continuous development to ensure they are able to provide clients with the best possible advice and support. They are loyal and committed to the organisation and its clients.
Our second winning volunteer team shows the power of a small group of people coming together and the impact that they can have.
Frimley Green Library is one of only two libraries in Surrey with a garden space. The garden first opened in 2001, but due to Covid and other factors, it fell into a state of disrepair.
A team of five amazing volunteers have been working hard to restore the space. They’ve dedicated their time to clearing overgrown weeds and planting new flowers and plants, which everyone is excited to see bloom in the spring. They’ve even built a compost bin to help achieve the library’s sustainability goals.
Without their hard work, the Library wouldn’t be able to reopen the garden to the public as they now plan to do next spring — and which is hoped to attract many new clients to the library. We hope that you will all visit!
Winner of the Engagement in the Community Award
The Login Lounge exemplifies what it means to be at the heart of a community. Their generosity, warmth, and unwavering support have made a tangible difference to many local groups.
Throughout the past year, organisation has opened its doors to groups time and time again, offering its beautiful venue free of charge for our concerts and fundraising events. This act of kindness has not only provided groups with a welcoming and professional space, but it has also enabled them to raise incredible sums to support their causes. In a time when community resources are stretched and every penny counts, their support has been nothing short of transformative.
But this organisation’s impact goes beyond the practical. Their team fosters a culture of inclusion, creativity, and collaboration. They make everyone feel welcome, from volunteers and performers to audience members and supporters. Their belief in the power of community is evident in every interaction, and their venue has become a hub for connection, celebration, and shared purpose.
Steve, Suzanne, and the rest of the team don’t just provide a space, they provide encouragement, enthusiasm, and a genuine desire to see others thrive. Their contribution to the local community is heartfelt and far-reaching, and all who use it are deeply grateful for their partnership.
Find out about local volunteering opportunities and keep up to date with local events & fundraising news by subscribing to one of our bulletins.