Jonathan Van Tam joins ‘Boston heroes’ at celebration evening

The ‘Boston Heroes winners and nominees pictured at the celebration event including winners Steve Slater of Wyberton Wombles of Boston Common (third from left), Patsie Marson of Community Support Group Boston (front row, fourth from left), and NHS worker Richard Green (second from left). Photos by Chris Vaughan.

The event, hosted by Boston Borough Council at Boston United Football Club, celebrated nominees from the Boston Heroes Recognition Awards and featured people from all walks of life, as voted for by local residents.

The campaign saw more than 240 nominations submitted, with those nominated recognised for their hard work, dedication and commitment to various community causes over the last two years.

Nominees included NHS employees, community group volunteers, social care support workers, litter pickers and charity fundraisers.

Boston Borough Council staff pictured at the celebration ceremony with Sir Jonathan Van Tam (centre), are, from left: Michelle Sacks, Clive Gibbon, Emma Staff, Luisa Stanney, Nichola Holderness, Karen Stengel, Emily Spicer, Lydia Rusling, and Michelle Howard.

One of the winners - deputy chief medical officer, Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam - joined in with the celebrations and delivered a speech which commemorated the entire community’s efforts, while paying homage to each individual’s contribution.

Attending the March 8 event and presenting the winners with a certificate of recognition and a trophy, was the mayor of Boston, Coun Frank Pickett. He said: “It was an honour to be invited to the evening’s celebrations, and to be able to speak with the many selfless nominees and heroes that Boston is made up of.

“It was overwhelming to see just how many Boston residents dedicated themselves to a bigger cause putting others first and helping to make our community brighter.

“Throughout the night, there was so much pride, warmth and laughter, making it the perfect opportunity to showcase what Boston can be when we all unite.

Boston’s Mayor, Coun Frank Pickett, presents Sir Jonathan Van Tam with a certificate of recognition at the Heroes celebration event.

“I have high hopes for the future of our community, and I look forward to seeing what our heroes go on to do next.”

Commenting on the event’s success, Michelle Sacks, deputy chief executive for growth at the council, said: “During the last few years, it’s been nothing short of a challenge to balance our normal lives alongside the difficulties of living through a pandemic. But in times of strife, there are those who go above and beyond the call of duty to help others and they’re the true heroes of our community.

“This evening of recognition not only gave us the opportunity to highlight their amazing work, but also demonstrate the impact their selfless efforts had on others. “The nominees have shown incredible tenacity and resilience, when it could’ve been easy to focus solely on their own lives and homes. Instead, they went out of their way to spread generosity and we were honoured to be in their presence tonight. This is what the Boston Heroes campaign was all about and we were delighted Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, who helped guide the entire country through the pandemic, was able to come along to share some moving words too.

“Now more than ever, I’m incredibly proud to be part of this budding town and to work among such amazing community heroes.”

Leader of Boston Borough Council, Coun Paul Skinner, said: “The turnout for the evening was something to behold. It was the perfect opportunity to celebrate Boston’s unsung heroes and share the significance a small act of kindness can have on our community.

“We saw throughout the night just how many members of our community put themselves forward to support families, businesses and maintain our pride in the community and I was truly humbled to witness that. It was a truly fantastic evening, spent in the company of some really inspirational people. A massive congratulations to all our Boston Hero nominees.”