Making a difference awards 2012

Awards Brochure Sponsors

Pictured left to right are Dave Stephenson, Carpenter, Shaun Williams, Director, and Jamie Batt, Multi Skilled Craftsman

SMK BUILDING & MAINTENANCE LTD Unit 15, Palmersvale Business Centre, Barry, Vale Of Glamorgan CF63 2XA. Mob: 0790 518 1168 | Tel: 01446 741888 Fax: 01446 741933 E­mail: t.nash@smkbuilding.com Website: www.smkbuilding.com

SMK Building and Maintenance are one of the most experienced contractors in South Wales for reactive and planned maintenance, with over 100 directly employed staff providing high quality services to a number of leading housing associations.

With offices in Barry and Caerphilly we are ideally located to offer our services right across the whole of the South Wales area.

We are also one of the main contractors for the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Welsh Housing Quality Standard programme and we are refurbishing hundreds of homes for the Council as part of that 5 year contract.

Our commitment to quality and our flexible approach to delivering services has secured a number of social housing contracts and we are continuing to expand as our reputation for delivering solutions grows.

We are delighted to support Wales & West Housing’s Making a Difference Awards for 2012 and its aim of celebrating the enterprise and community spirit of its residents.

Tony Nash Business Development Manager

A very warm welcome to our

Making a Difference Awards for 2012 Now in their fifth year, these awards are our way of honouring the community spirit, kindness and enterprise shown by so many people, young and old alike, who live in our properties.

We are inspired and often very moved by the stories that emerge throughout this process and we are

Anne Hinchey Chief Executive

proud to say a very big ‘thank you’ to each and every person who has been nominated this year for a Making a Difference award.

We are also very pleased to be joined tonight by so many of our contractor partners, who have very kindly sponsored these awards.

We hope you enjoy the evening and very good luck to you all.

Kathy Smart Chair

Stand to attention for The Siren Sisters The Siren Sisters are a blonde, brunette and red­head combo crooning tunes from the 40's.

Think blue birds, white cliffs and apple blossom...

Following in the footsteps of the Andrews, Boswell and Dinning Sisters, this trio will have you tapping your toes and humming along to the

nostalgic tunes of yesteryear.

Credits include the Wales Festival of Remembrance at St David’s Hall, RHS Flower Show at Cardiff Castle, Commemoration of the Evacuation of Dunkirk in France, Bestival Music Festival IOW, Camp Bestival Dorset and regular guest appearances on The Roy Noble Show for BBC Radio Wales and Noson Lawen for S4C.

Recently, they supported Alfie Boe at Ponty’s Big Weekend and have been on tour this summer with Only Men Aloud! For more information and current tour dates see their website www.thesirensisters.co.uk follow them on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook! Retro red lips, silk stockings, milk and honey harmonies and two of them are real sisters!

Quick march, The Sirens are calling!

MAD Awards 2012 Shortlists Good Neighbour  sponsored by GKR What makes a good neighbour? They come in all shapes and sizes, but what they all have in common is that they have a listening ear, helping hands and a very warm heart.

Bill Hollis Buxton Court, Rhyl

This category celebrates those apparently ‘small’ day to day actions that actually make a massive difference to other people’s lives.

This year’s shortlisted entries are:

Nigel Farmer Danymynydd, Bridgend

Val Terry St Catherine’s Court, Caerphilly

MAD Awards 2012 Shortlists Fresh Start ď‚Ť sponsored by PH Jones Life can be full of ups and downs and this category is all about those people who have overcome tough times to turn their lives around for the better.

The shortlisted entries are:

Adam Hawksford Hackett Court, Wrexham

Keith Roberts Hanover Court, Llandudno

Sian Hope Langford Close, Wrexham

Fresh Start (New Build)

 sponsored by Anwyl

Our Fresh Start (New Build) category is new this year and is specifically for inspirational people who have moved into one of our newly built developments within the past two years.

Patricia Edwards Llys Pont Helyg, Wrexham

This year’s shortlisted entries are:

Gordon Barlow Nant y Môr, Prestatyn

Amy & Ashley Roberts Llys yr Orsedd , Ponciau, Wrexham

MAD Awards 2012 Shortlists Eco Champion  sponsored by CJS Electrical This award is all about looking after our environment and making the most of what we’ve got.

We’ve been looking for people who go that extra mile in reducing, reusing and recycling ­ or perhaps growing their own fruit and veg for the first time.

This award is all about celebrating those simple steps that can result in big changes for the better when it comes to being ‘greener’.

Eric Fitton/ Charlie Adams

Here are this year’s shortlisted entries:

Nant y Môr, Prestatyn

Martyn Bryant and Patricia Lavercombe Glan yr Afon Court, Maesteg

Maes y Ffynnon Gardening Club Crickhowell

Margaret Williams Limebourne Court, Whitchurch

Green Fingers (Retirement)  sponsored by Ian Williams The Green Fingers Award is all about those people who are good at gardening, especially creating beautiful floral displays.

This category always attracts a huge amount of interest, and this year we have again split it into two awards – one for residents in our retirement properties and the other for people who live in our general needs housing ­ quite simply because we had so very many high quality entries.

Jeff Johnston Bridgeman Court

This year’s shortlisted entries are:

Derek Rose & Jeff Bunce Western Court, Bridgend

Ty Gwyn Jones Abergele

MAD Awards 2012 Shortlists Green Fingers (general needs)  sponsored by Wates Living Space We also received lots of entries for this, the second part of our Green Fingers category, making the shortlisting a very difficult job.

The shortlisted entries are:

Church Road Action Crew Caerau Potters Cardiff

Caia Gardens Wrexham

Langford Close Wrexham

Cardiff

Community Project  sponsored by Solar Windows Our Community Project category is all about those groups of people who have done something good in their neighbourhood ­ something which has changed their area for the better.

Unity Caerau, Cardiff

It is open to individuals and groups of any ages and the projects can be about absolutely anything that has brought value to the community.

This year’s shortlisted projects are:

June & Roly Foster Nant y Môr Choir, Prestatyn

Cwrt Leighton Residents Association Connah’s Quay

Jimmy Layton, Blind Club at Christchurch Court, Llandrindod Wells

MAD Awards 2012 Shortlists David Taylor Local Hero ď‚Ť sponsored by City Satellite This award is for that person or persons who have quite simply stood out from the crowd for whatever reason.

It is open to groups or individuals of any age and celebrates their extraordinary achievements.

Robert Davies

This year’s shortlisted local heroes are:

Cradoc Close, Brecon

Mandy Hopkins Heol Glannant, Betws

Andrew Hurd Jordan Howe Newent Rd, St Mellons

Bronrhiw Fach, Caerphilly

Ros & Peter Whitaker Sylvester Court, Wrexham

Making a Difference Awards 2012

Full List of Nominations Val Terry, St Catherine's Court, Caerphilly Jimmy Layton, Blind Club at Christchurch Court, Llandrindod Church Road Action Crew, Cardiff Bill Hollis, Buxton Court, Rhyl Margaret Williams, Limebourne Court, Whitchurch Cwrt Leighton Residents' Association, Connah’s Quay Janet Meredith, St Clements Court, Cardiff Reshma Sojan, Brynystwyth, Aberystwyth Mary Smith, Llys Hafren, Newtown Sally Thomas, Great Western Court, Cardiff Glenys Sullivan, Pen y Van View, Merthyr Tydfil Irene Davies, Norbury Court, Cardiff Jillian Tylor, Slocombe Cottages, Cardiff June & Roly Foster, Nant y Môr Choir UNITY, Caerau, Cardiff Caia Gardens, Wrexham ENIGMA, Treseder Way, Cardiff

Nigel Farmer, Danymynydd, Bridgend Brackla Live, Bridgend Vicky Lloyd, Maria Horn, Nina Williams & Simon Murphy, Rhyl Glan yr Afon Sunday Lunch Club, Bridgend Leon Balen, Art Exhibition, Penarth Jeff Johnston, Bridgeman Court, Penarth Ron Evans, Sylvester Court, Wrexham Brian Davies & Verna Dallimore, Penarth Eric Fitton/Charlie Adams, Nant y Môr, Prestatyn Norma Roberts, Hanover Court, Barry Mandy Hopkins, Betws, Bridgend Maes Y Ffynnon Gardening Club, Crickhowell Keith Roberts Hanover Court, Llandudno Mrs Margaret Donne & Mrs Kath Williams, Cwrt Anghorfa, Bridgend LIBERTY, Treseder Way, Cardiff Adam Hawksford, Hackett Court, Hightown, Wrexham continued overleaf...

Sian Hope, Langford Close, Wrexham Gordon Barlow, Nant y Môr, Prestatyn Glan yr Afon Gardening group ­ Martyn Bryant and Patricia Lavercombe, Maesteg Amy and Ashley Roberts, Wrexham Langford Close gardeners, Wrexham Margaret Williams, Limebourne Court, Cardiff Robert Davies, 107 Cradoc Close, Brecon Derek Rose & Jeff Bunce, Western Court, Bridgend Tˆy Gwyn Jones, Abergele David Roberts, Hanover Court, Llandudno Lillian Hardy and Jean Ashley, St Catherine's Court, Caerphilly Hanover Court, Rhos on Sea Eric Fitton, Nant y Môr

Margaret & Jennifer, Stephenson Court, Cardiff Patricia Edwards, Llys Pont Helyg, Wrexham Llys Bryn Felin, Tonyrefail, RCT David Fuller, Ron Evans and Peter Whittaker, Sylvester Court, Wrexham Caerau Potters, Cardiff Ron Perry, Attfield Close, Cardiff Pauline Coombes, Dan y Coed Rise, Bridgend Kathleen McCarthy, Clos Tan y Fron, Bridgend Jordan Howe, Newent Road, St Mellons Andrew Hurd, Bronrhiw Fach, Caerphilly Ros & Peter Whitaker, Sylvester Court, Wrexham Frank Price, Maes y Ffynnon, Crickhowell Brackla Events Committee, Bridgend

Smile... you’re on camera!

We hope you enjoy this very special evening and to help you remember we will be filming and photographing tonight’s events. A short video will be posted on our YouTube channel – wwhahomesforwales – and on our website – www.wwha.co.uk ­ in the near future. You will also be able to see a selection of photos from the night on our website and in the next edition of In Touch magazine.

Thanks to our sponsors Good Neighbour – sponsored by GKR Fresh Start – sponsored by PH Jones Fresh Start – new build – sponsored by Anwyl Eco Champion – sponsored by CJS Electrical Green Fingers – retirement – sponsored by Ian Williams Green Fingers – sponsored by Wates Living Space Community Project – sponsored by Solar Windows David Taylor Local Hero – sponsored by City Satellite Special Inspiration Awards – Cambria Maintenance Services Brochure – sponsored by SMK Wine – sponsored by Symphony Group