Chiswick residents win community awards

Image above:  Cllr Joanna Biddolph; PCSO Cheryl Spilsbury; Fred Charnaud; Mayor of Hounslow Afzaal Kiani; Ollie Saunders; Cllr Ranjit Gill among others at the Hounslow House reception

Hard work recognised

Chiswick residents have been recognised by Hounslow Council for their contribution to the community over the past year. PCSO Cheryl Spilsbury (Police Community Support Officer), Chiswick Flower Market director Ollie Saunders and 15 year old rugby coach Fred Charnaud were nominated by local councillors alongside the women who run the Chiswick Repair Cafe.

Fred had a serious injury last year which has stopped him from playing rugby, as he is no longer allowed to do contact sport, so instead he coaches for Chiswick Rugby Club.

“How many fifteen year olds do you know who are prepared to coach younger teams?” said Cllr Ron Mushiso, who nominated him. Fred is a student of Ron’s at St Benedict’s School, where he is a high achieving student academically. He has also just passed his level 1 referee course. He was given the award for his coaching, but also for helping out at the Chiswick Cheese Market.

Image above: Live music at the flower market on Sunday 3 March 2024

Ollie Saunders is the person whose idea it was to have a flower market in Chiswick. He and the others involved give their time freely to organise the market in the High Rd on the first Sunday of each month, attracting a wide range of traders, including established market traders, specialist UK growers, RHS Chelsea Gold medal winning nurseries, florists, garden designers plus many local independent businesses. Thousands of people now go to the market every month.

Ollie was nominated by Cllr Ranjit Gill, who told The Chiswick Calendar:

“Ollie A charming helpful individual who has amazing ideas. Starting the flower market and putting Chiswick on the map. Instead of going to another market in another Borough he bought us the flower market to our doorstep. His efforts have lead to more local markets in Chiswick. This has in turn brought more and more people to Chiswick.

“A great talent that needs to be appreciated and honoured. I was delighted to nominate Ollie for the ward and recognise his talent and initiative.  He and his partner David are also great supporter of the LBGT Chiswick group and helped with the rainbow  crossing in Chiswick.”

PCSO Cheryl Spilsbury is a familiar face around Chiswick, supporting the police officers in the Neighbourhood Police team. Although they are much criticised for not acting when people call the police, they are overstretched, and based in Acton. Cllr Joanna Biddolpph nominated Cheryl for her service.

Image above: Chiswick Repair Cafe founders Charlotte Bullock, Jill Spencer and Marie-Claire Meisels with Mayor of Hounslow, Afzaal Kiani

Repairs Cafe allows people of Chiswick “to be part of a more sustainable and less wasteful economy.”

The Chiswick Repair Cafe team were also pleased to be invited by the Mayor of Hounslow to tea at Hounslow House and were delighted with their award ‘in recognition of their outstanding contribution within the community’.

They were also recipients of one of  The Chiswick Calendar’s ‘CRAP’ awards in January (Chiswick Residents’ Active participation) and said:

“We are very aware that these awards represent all the hard work of our amazing volunteers so we are incredibly grateful for all that they do. It has certainly put a spring in our step and a bit more energy to see what more we can do.”

READ ALSO: Chiswick Calendar party 2024 – CRAP awards and comedy

READ ALSO: Chiswick Repair Café celebrates its first birthday

The repair cafe was set up by a group of volunteers in October 2022 and since then has helped hundreds of people in and out of Chiswick to save their items from landfill. The sessions are held at Christ Church on Turnham Green once a month on Saturdays from 10.30am – 1pm. The next Repair Cafe dates are: March 16, April 20, May 18 and June 15.

Image above: Volunteers working at repairs 

One of their organisers, Charlotte Bullock previously told the Chiswick Calendar:

“It is inspiring that our event is making the repair of household goods more accessible to so many people, making it easier for people to be part of a more sustainable and less wasteful economy. We have been supported by our generous and talented volunteers.

“We look forward to continuing to provide an engaging community experience as well as a useful service to Chiswick locals.”

Others to have tea with the Mayor and collect awards were Harvinder Bahra and Jenny Figaro, nominated by Homefield ward councillors John Todd and Gerald McGregor respectively.

John Todd said he nominated Harvinder for ‘her outstanding commitment to the Chiswick House and Gardens Trust Community and Learning programme. Since the pandemic she has starting from scratch into an annual programme that engages with 3000 participants, 54 community groups and others’.

Cllr McGregor nominated Jennifer for all the hard work she puts in on Abundance London projects, planting and weeding previously unloved bits of ground around Chiswick, and for the work she does as a volunteer with Dukes Meadows Trust.

Image above: Harvinder Bahra and Jenny Shapiro with their awards

Councillors to become Aldermen

Next week it will be the turn of some of Hounslow’s councillors to receive awards for their service. Former Leader Steve Curran, former Chiswick Councillor Paul Lynch and Hounslow Councillors Mel Collins, Corinna Smart and Barbara Reid will be made aldermen.