Community champions, local heroes and people who have braved adversity were hailed as true stars at the Essex Achievement Awards ceremony.
Eddie Rex was commended in the community champion section
The awards, held by the Essex Chronicle Series in conjunction with health campaigner Susie Cornell, gave recognition to a total of 25 people of all ages, ranging from five to 90.
At the prestigious event held at Stock Brook Manor County Club on Friday TV personality Jeremy Spake, who had just flown in from Lagos, said after presenting the awards: " It is a pleasure to come to a ceremony like this which is not about celebrities congratulating each other. It is about real people who really deserve to be called stars."
His tribute was echoed by Susie Cornell, the inspiration behind the awards which were first launched in 1994 and are sponsored by Ford Rapid Fit, Chelmsford Star Co-op and Ron Ford of R G Ford Insurance Brokers.
Susie Cornell, who has multiple sclerosis, is a complementary therapist based at the SpringHealth club in Chelmsford said, "The awards give well deserved recognition to some very special people. The ceremony is their night, for them to feel special."
Linda Dewhurst - commended in the Achievement over Adversity section
The winner of the Community Champion award was district nurse Sheila Smith from South Woodham, the Local Heroes award winner was Thomas Wells from Thaxted and the Achievement over Adversity Award category winner was Heleneia Brierley from Burnham on Crouch.
Special award winners in the Community Champion category were Malcolm Tilsed, manager of The Meadows Shopping Centre in Chelmsford and Thomas Parsons, 90, from Roxwell.
In the Achievement over Adversity category a special award was presented to Tayler Cronly-Dillon, aged eight, from Billericay.
Alison Hartley from BBC Essex and Stuart Rawlins from the Essex Chronicle were the presenters for the ceremony and gave a summary of the achievements of each nominee.
Published Tuesday November 12, 2002
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