Four special members of the North Herts community have been recognised for their voluntary contribution at the Chair’s, Cllr Daniel Allen, end-of-year charity evening at Hitchin Town Hall on Friday, 1 March.
This year’s North Herts Heroes, who have made a real difference in their local community, are:
- Caring Award sponsored by Nyaradzo Group – Veronica Raymond for working tirelessly to support refugee families with charity Herts Welcomes Refugees
- Green Award sponsored by John O’Conner – John Baskerville awarded posthumously for leading the Friends of Norton Common among other voluntary endeavours
- Health Award sponsored by Altro – Michael Hearn for restoring defibrillators in Royston
- Young star – Ranbir Dhillon for getting so involved in school, extra-curricular and charitable activities, despite his medical challenges
Each winner was presented with an engraved glass trophy and gift voucher to acknowledge their achievements.
At the latest count, around £2,000 has been raised from the evening for the Chair’s chosen charities – Resolve and Feed Up, Warm Up – mainly through a raffle and silent auction. VIP guests included other local chairs and mayors, the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire Liz Green and Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire Dr Sally Burton.
Cllr Daniel Allen, Chair of North Herts Council, said: "The North Herts Heroes awards allows us the opportunity to recognise and celebrate some of the most amazing people in our area who go out of their way to make a positive impact on other people's lives. We know they don’t do it for the acknowledgement, but we want to give thanks to these exceptionally deserving heroes. We hope our winners will inspire others to think about how they may help the wider community."
Our North Herts Heroes are nominated by the public and chosen by a judging panel including Cllr Daniel Allen, Georgia Barrow the editor of our media partner The Comet and Andy Nazer from North Herts Centre for Voluntary Service (NHCVS).
This year's North Herts Heroes are:
Veronica Raymond – Caring Award sponsored by Nyaradzo Group
Watch Veronica's video
Veronica has volunteered for the charity Herts Welcomes Refugees for many years, working tirelessly to support asylum seeker and refugee families settle into their new life in North Herts.
Her patient, non-judgemental and caring manner means that families arriving into the area, often coming from traumatic situations, are made to feel at home in their new community and integrate more quickly and successfully.
Veronica assists in so many different ways, helping families with day-to-day tasks many of us can do with ease such as liaising with schools and arranging medical appointments.
More recently, Veronica has been supporting asylum seeker children who are staying in a hotel, helping them with homework and assisting them with learning English.
As both a charity trustee and area convenor for North Herts, Veronica oversees a team of volunteers as well as helps steer the organisation through an ever-changing landscape.
Veronica said: "I really appreciate the recognition of the valuable work of Herts Welcomes Refugees but I’m just one of a team. I have met many wonderful people through the charity, both refugees and volunteers, that it has been a thoroughly enriching experience."
John Baskerville – Green Award sponsored by John O’Conner
Watch John's video
John sadly died in September last year, after a short period of illness with late-stage pancreatic cancer, so his award was collected by his wife Pat. John’s nomination actually spanned many categories, and with at least three long-term volunteer roles in Letchworth, his nominator stated “there needs to be a category of super volunteer!”
John was an active member and leader of the Friends of Norton Common. He cared about nature and enjoyed getting hands on with the regular work party which maintains the nature reserve. He was also very open to new ideas, helping the Letchworth Festival run a teenage event at the skate park for instance.
John used his considerable skills at Letchworth Settlement Players to design stage sets and props for theatre productions and oversaw their construction. His final creation was an ingenious set for The Games Afoot performed in November, after his death.
John also managed the accounts and payroll at Howard Garden Social Centre for several years. His quiet competence, friendliness and attention to detail were hugely appreciated.
His wife Pat collected the award on his behalf and said: "John was one of life’s givers and it was my good luck to be married to him for over 40 years."
Michael Hearn – Health Award sponsored by Altro
Watch Michael's video
Michael has gone above and beyond to restore damaged and missing defibrillators in Royston after being informed of their status while working as a paramedic and volunteering with Project H, a local charity providing community defibrillators and training.
He has recently used his spare time to raise the needed funds to replace two defibrillators and get another in place to cover a stolen one. He also used his own time and expenses to install a new cabinet and ensure each defibrillator is registered with the East of England, never needing or expecting a thank you.
He is also now placing bleed kits in defibrillator boxes in Royston to increase further the chance of survival from catastrophic bleeds.
Michael said: "I am overwhelmed to have been nominated for such an award and I accepted it on behalf of all the volunteers and medical professionals out there contributing to saving people’s lives."
Ranbir Dhillon – Young Star
Watch Ranbir's video
Ranbir has a benign brain tumour causing hormone imbalance, partial vision in his right eye, daily muscle pain and means he has to take medication for life which has its own side effects including short-term memory loss, weight gain and recently seizures including lack of sleep. Despite all this, Ranbir gets involved in school, extra-curricular and charitable activities, the list is endless!
As an avid reader, Ranbir takes part in his local library challenges each year and has also written his own short story which he is hoping to publish and won a poetry competition at school.
He loves Maths and took part in a school challenge with over 250 schools – his team came 12th, the first time his school reached the finals. His school has helped involve him in sport as a ‘data analyst’ where he records scores at tournaments and on sports day and helps to work out averages.
Ranbir has attended a drama club for the last four years and won his gold medal last year. He is in a film made during the Covid lockdown and performed at Gordon Craig Theatre last year where he played a key role.
Ranbir was recognised by Royston’s Mayor last year for raising money for a local charity and volunteered through Baldock Rotary Club, receiving two certificates for his efforts as a young citizen and peacemaker. He has always helped fundraise, starting a ‘wear a hat day’ in infant school for brain tumour charities, arranging a bake sale for The Sick Children's Trust, and raising money for the charity that helped during his treatment at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
Ranbir is aware of the environment and as part of the eco committee at school he has been out litter picking and has also taken part in litter picking with local councillors.
Ranbir attends Punjabi language classes in Hitchin and volunteers when he can at both Hitchin and Letchworth Gurdwara in the kitchen serving food – the Hitchin Gurdwara also provides over 200 meals every month for homeless people in Luton.
Ranbir said: "I think it’s important to help others as some people don't have the things we do, I have experienced needing help myself so I like to give back. I enjoy challenging myself academically and taking part in charitable fundraisers. My family, teachers and hospital staff always encourage and motivate me and if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be able to do all of these things."
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