THE Basingstoke community came together to honour some of the heroes of the town at the much celebrated A Place to be Proud of Awards 2024.

The event, organised by Destination Basingstoke, which took on Thursday, June 6, marked the 21st anniversary of the awards.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and hosts Apollo Hotel were the joint headline sponsors of the event where the winners of the awards were announced.

Destination Basingstoke’s partnership manager Mark Jones and David Holby-Wolinski were the main comperes.

The other key partners of the event included Basingstoke Voluntary Action, Basingstoke Local Sports Council, and Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with Basingstoke Gazette and Basingstoke Community Radio joining as media partners.

Basingstoke College of Technology catering and hospitality students received a Pride in Place funding from UK Shared Prosperity Fund and BDBC to create the awards dinner and to deliver the hospitality and catering services.

Following were the award categories and respective winners:

Above and Beyond Award - sponsored by Castle Trust Bank

Terri Eakins, the group activity lead at Forest Care, won this award for going  the extra mile to create unforgettable experiences that deeply enrich lives of her residents.

Katie Mashingaidze and Westside Community Centre were the other finalists.

Arts and Entertainment Award - sponsored by Minuteman Press

Meraki Dance Studios, which represented England at The Dance World Cup and grabbed the gold, were the winners of Arts and Entertainment Award. Meraki’s principal Maxine Hadley received the award.

Fatima Pantoja and Fluid Motion were the other finalists.

Charity of the Year Award - sponsored by Basingstoke Voluntary Action

St Michael’s Hospice won this award for providing invaluable palliative and end-of-life care services in North Hampshire for 32 years. The judges were impressed with the way that the hospice continues to deliver for the people it helps and their families, despite the increasingly challenging financial landscape.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance and Step by Step were the other finalists.

Community Project Award - sponsored by Vivid

U3A Basingstoke Old Basing, which is a group to provide support and engagement for the elderly in the community, won this award. Started 25 years ago with just 48 members, the group now has around 1,020 members.

Basingstoke Veterans’ Hub and Oakley Stitchers were the other finalists.

Green Community Champion Award - sponsored by Tomato Energy

Inspirational students of Cranbourne School who formed ‘Green Cranbourne’ group won this award for their sustainability and eco-friendliness measures.

Gill Smallman and Junk Jodie Art and Storytelling were the other finalists.

Health and Wellbeing Award - sponsored by Lilly

Victoria’s Promise, a charity dedicated to supporting women aged 18 to 50 through cancer and beyond, won this award. CEO and co-founder Fiona Eastman founded this charity 10 years ago in memory of her late daughter Victoria Van Der Westhuisen.

Basingstoke and Area Tinnitus Support Group, Aaron Boyd and Read Easy Basingstoke were the other finalists.

Inspirational Educator Award - sponsored by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

Simon Houghton who set up ‘We Support Deaf Awareness’ to teach others tips on how to communicate with anyone suffering hearing loss is the winner of this award.

Anne Higgins and Maria Thorne were the other finalists.

Sports Personality of the Year Award and Sports Club of the Year Award - sponsored by Apollo Hotel

Felix Smith won the Junior Sports Personality of the Year award. He secured first place in both the British F.I.G Junior Men's category and in pairs with Amelia Thynne.

Caiden Griffin and Lily-Mae Lancaster Evans were the other finalists in junior category.

Ben Pattison, the first British male athlete to win a world 800m medal since Peter Elliott in Rome in 1987, was awarded the Senior Sports Personality of the Year. Ben, who is currently training for the Paris Olympics could not attend the awards event.

Szymon Doniesiewicz and Simon Ward were the other finalists in senior category.

Basingstoke Gymnastic Club, which nurtured numerous athletes who compete nationally and internationally, won the Sports Club of the Year Award.

Basingstoke Rugby Club and Bluewave Korean Martial Art were the other finalists.

Unsung Hero Award - sponsored by Absolutely Offices

‘Mr Christmas’ Keith Brown who has raised more than £62,000 for St Michael's Hospice with Christmas light displays in front of his house won this award.

Mike Hedderley and Patricia Langley were the other finalists.

Volunteer of the Year Award - sponsored by Beaufort Financial

Sandra and Bob Leary, who volunteer to deliver Chemogiftbags at Basingstoke hospital, won this award. The couple, who are cancer survivors themselves, were nominated by Chemogiftbags founder Lynne Shipton.

Jane Komrower and Jeanette Patterson were the other finalists.

Young Role Model of the Year Award - sponsored by Queen Mary’s College

Aaron Howick, a remarkable young person who worked at a care home to support people with different stages of dementia, won this award.

Archie Burniston and Scarlett Summers were the other finalists.

Lifetime Achievement Award - sponsored by Destination Basingstoke

There were three winners in this category. They are Inspero, Kevin Laing and Patricia Langley.

Inspero is a community-based charity which empowers and supports people to lead healthier lifestyles.

Kevin has been chairman of the local sports council for nearly 30 years, devoting countless voluntary hours to the sporting community.

Patricia has worked tirelessly to support a number of community initiatives in both her professional and personal life for more than 40 years.

Tony Capon and Julie Jones were the other finalists.