Meet our award-winning citizens

In March, we announced the winners of our Honoured Citizen awards. There were many worthy nominees, but two candidates stood out from the rest. These were Anne Beckett-Allen in the Honoured Citizen category and Lily Mills in the Junior Good Citizen category.

Anne Beckett-Allen

Anne Beckett-Allen receives the Honoured Citizen Award for her work promoting mental health first aid in the workplace and

for all she does to support our town’s bereaved residents, particularly children. Anne has led on the delivery of mental health first aid courses and training to employees all over the local area. A founding funeral director, and one of the most qualified funeral directors in the country, Anne runs bereavement groups, walks and church services for residents free of charge. She is also a longstanding trustee of local children’s bereavement charity, Nelson’s Journey. Roella Trudgill, who nominated Anne, said: “Anne works tirelessly… and is an inspiration to everyone to try and keep positive.” Finding out she had won was a moving moment for Anne. “When I heard the news, I was really emotional, because it was just four years ago that I was watching my late father,

Harold Rackham, receive the exact same award,” said Anne. “And I know that he would have been so proud of me. Through my work at Rosedale, we have won many regional and national awards. But this one, being closer to home, is somehow even more special. “In these difficult times, it’s more important

than ever to try and maintain a healthy mindset and positive attitude. Part of that should be celebrating and expressing gratitude for all the things that are good in our community. The Honoured Citizen awards do just that, and I think the Junior Good Citizen award is particularly powerful. Celebrating and publicly acknowledging a young person’s contribution means they are more likely to continue their good work and encourage others to be their best selves too. The very process of nominating someone is an easy kindness to pass on. It benefits one’s wellbeing in a positive way, and really is of enormous importance.”

Lily Mills

Lily Mills, a pupil at Diss High School, received this year’s Junior Good Citizen award. As well as being a Diss Youth Councillor, Lily volunteers for Scole Nature Trails Trust and Gissing Children’s Centre. She’s also a rookie lifeguard and qualified first aider.

Chris Brook, a trustee at Scole Nature Trails Trust and one of her nominators, said: “Lily isn’t afraid of hard work. It was particularly impressive to know that, prior to the restrictions last year, she would attend early morning lifeguard training sessions before rushing home and then turning out to work for us.”

Representing the needs of others –particularly the young people of Diss - has always been a big motivator for Lily. “I joined Diss Youth Town Council in the summer of 2018 aged 12. I wanted to help make Diss more ‘youth friendly’ and provide a voice for youngsters on matters that concern us. Helping and working in the local community is really important, but it’s been especially important over the past year with COVID-19. It’s been great how everyone has joined together and supported each other through the pandemic. “Getting this award has been fantastic. It’s really good to say thanks and reward people for working hard. Giving back to the local community helps build a good community spirit and I like to show that young people can be altruistic and generous with their time too and that our community does matter to us.”

Annual Town Meeting

The awards will be presented to Anne and Lily at the Annual Town Meeting on 29th September. The public are warmly welcome to attend. Registration details will be available nearer the time.

Scrap Metal Collection Free Metal Dump We Buy in Metal

Why not pop down and see what we have from nuts and bolts to picks and shovels, buckets and spades, tools and hardware from racking and shelves, benches to kitchenware and cutlery. Items to recycle from vintage to retro.

Open 8.30am-4pm Weekdays 8.30am-noon Saturdays

Call us on 01379 642983

Oxford House, Mission Road Diss IP22 4HX peter.gillings@virgin.net www.gillingsofdiss.com

Park House, Mere Street, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4JY. 01379 643555 Offices also in Harleston, Ipswich and Felixstowe. www.jackamans.co.uk