Four of Gainsborough's unsung heroes honoured with High Sheriff Awards

Deborah Clarson, Cat Paton and Jackie Applebee were handed awards for their community work, including with Gainsborough Crisis Action Team and for work to enhance local green space Ashcroft Park and Damon Parkinson was given the award for his work with the Gainsborough Trinity Foundation, a foundation set up to improve the lives of people across the county through sport, physical activity and education.

All of the awards were handed out in person by the High Sheriff of Lincolnshire, Claire Birch, who is tasked with finding unsung heroes in our county, recognising them, supporting them, thanking them, and where appropriate, giving out awards where a person has made an exceptional contribution to our community.

Jackie Applebee said: “I lived in Portland Terrace and realised there was nowhere for people to go and I felt this little area could just do with a facelift. Everybody told me that I was wasting my time.”

“I do lots of bits of community work and I do it because I want to do it, you never expect any recognition for it so it is really quite amazing to have that recognition.”

Cat Paton, who works with Deborah in the kitchen at the X Church as part of the Gainsborough Crisis Action Team, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to receive the award but I don’t see it as much of a personal recognition, I see it as recognition for the work that we do here at X Church Kitchen to support vulnerable adults living in our community.”

Damon Parkinson said: “I’m really proud because it has capped off, for us as an organisation and me personally, two years which have obviously been really challenging with Covid, opening and closing, all the uncertainty – so I am really proud.

“To me it demonstrates what we have done, and the hours we have put in, have been massively worth it to be recognised.”

For more information on the work of both Gainsborough Crisis Action Team and Gainsborough Trinity Foundation visit www.lincsshine.co.uk/listing/gainsborough-crisis-action-team and www.gainsboroughtrinityfoundation.com.