Town Awards celebrate community spirit
The awards were sponsored by the Forum of Private Business
The community spirit of Knutsford was celebrated on 30th April with the presentation of the annual Town Awards at Knutsford Little Theatre.
The awards, which were introduced in 2013 and are sponsored by the Forum of Private Business, celebrate the work of the local residents, businesses and groups that make Knutsford such a special place to live, work and do business.
Stable Minds secured the first award of the evening, winning the 2025 Community Award for their support of mental wellbeing in the community. Their many nominations cited the benefit of the work they do and praised the opening of a new mental health walk-in centre.
The 2025 Youth Award went to Ella Williamson for her work volunteering with the Crosstown Community Orchard. Ella helps out at every event in the orchard getting stuck in setting the events up, serving food and packing back down at the end. Ella also volunteers regularly on the monthly work days to keep the orchard maintained.
Di Healey, who runs two local choirs secured the 2025 Business Award. Through operating the choirs Di has raised several thousand pounds for charities and her choirs are a treasured part of many community events.
The inaugural Volunteer of the Year award went to Jenny Collis. Jenny has been a longstanding volunteer with Knutsford Heritage Centre, giving talks on local history to many groups as well as editing the monthly member’s journal. Jenny has also recently published her own book on the town’s history, donating 100% of the profits to Knutsford Heritage Centre.
A special award was made to Knutsford Little Theatre in celebration of their 100-year anniversary. Initially starting as the Knutsford Amateur Dramatic Society in 1925. The society purchased what is now Knutsford Little Theatre in 1949 and has grown to be a treasured part of the local community, putting on its own amateur dramatics productions and hosting a range of local events. Jim Broughton, Chair of the Little Theatre, was presented with a plaque to record the community’s appreciation to mark their anniversary.
The final presentations were the three Civic Awards, presented to an individual (or group of individuals) who stand out for the time they give to the community.
Ian Alibston was presented with the first Civic Award for his management of the Hope Central Foodbank where he coordinates volunteers and oversees the logistics of operating this vital facility.
Next up was Paul Langley who received a Civic Award in recognition of his wide support of community activity. Paul was a founding member of the Knutsford Beer Festival, has raised thousands for charity with his LOL Cheshire comedy nights and quietly helps out behind the scenes at many other community events.
The final Civic Award for 2025 went to Cathryn Walley. Cathryn helped establish Friends of St John’s Wood in 2020 and has served as its chair since then. Cathryn also recently stepped down from long serving roles supporting Manor Park School, having served both as a Governor of the school and on the Manor Park School PTA, helping bring the school community together.
Town Mayor, Cllr Colin Banks said “The presentation of these awards was in the final two weeks of my time as Town Mayor and it was a wonderful way to close out the year. The dedicated service our winners, and all those shortlisted for awards, give to our community is truly inspiring. These awards serve to shine a light on these community heroes and hope to encourage more to follow in their footsteps”