Freedom Of TheBorough

Council announcestop accoladerecipients

The Royal Stoke University Hospital is to be awarded the Freedom of the Borough by Newcastle-underLyme Borough Council.

The accolade is awarded to local people or organisations who have, in the opinion of the council, given outstanding services to theborough.

The hospital’s nomination states that the council is “expressing its admiration and appreciation of the long and continuing service given by the Royal Stoke University Hospital to the residents of the borough and especially their selfless work, dedication and care given to borough residents and beyond, during the coronavirus pandemic.”

Leader of the borough council, councillor Simon Tagg, said: “We have seen incredible efforts from theteams at the Royal Stoke, particularly during the pandemic when staff have worked tirelessly to care for the residents of the borough and across Staffordshire. “The NHS frontline workers risked their own lives to help others and we want to use this special honour, the Freedom of the Borough, to acknowledge that and to thank them all.”

The council formally approved the honour at a ‘Special Council’ meeting recently.

The nomination comes as the country continues to move through the Government’s unlocking roadmap and astep towards getting back to normal. It is believed to be the first nomination for Freedom of the Borough for the ‘Royal Stoke’ in Staffordshire.

Later this year ashort ceremony is settotake place where the official ‘scrolls of freedom’ will be handedover to the Chief Executive of the Royal Stoke University Hospital, Tracy Bullock, to mark the honour.

Tracey said: “We are delighted to receive this honour and Iknow our dedicated staff will be very gratefultobe recognised in this way. These have been unprecedented times and on behalf of University Hospitals of North Midlands I would like to pay tribute to council colleagues, all our partners and our local communities for their support and generosity. “Thank you to everyone who got involved in supporting our amazing staff and our patients.”

Also being awarded the Freedom of the Borough this year is borough resident Jim Worgan.

Both Freedom of the Borough nominations were proposed by the outgoing Mayor of Newcastle-underLyme, John Cooper, and Jim’s is in recognition of his life-long support of community groups and associations in the borough.

The community associations that Jim has beenamember of are numerous and include Newcastle-under-Lyme Civic Society, the Chamber of Trade, the Philip Astleysteeringgroup andFriends of Brampton Museum.

Jim worked for 32 years in the mining industry and has also beenastalwartsupporter of local mining memorial groups including the Minnie Pit Memorial Group, the Diglake Colliery disaster memorial group and Apedale Mining Heritage Centre. He also served for four years as the final curator of the Chatterley Whitfield museum.

Jim has also carried out other public roles and recently served the borough council as mace-bearer. He said: “The Freedom of the Borough is such an honour. Iamreally proud to be nominated, especially in the same year as theUniversity Hospital –26years ago the staff there saved my life and I’m still so grateful to them. “I am Newcastle born and bred -and you could say that I’ve lived my whole life in the heart of the borough -I cansee the old police station in Merrial Street from where Ilive. “Over the years Ihave done all Ican to promote and serve the town and to remember and celebrate its communities, its long history and itstraditional industries. Ithink that my late wife, Audrey, would have been proud of this recognitionofmy commitment to thetown-she was always my inspiration.”

Previous recipients of the Freedom of the Borough include Gordon Banks, Neil Baldwin (Nello), Sergeant Watchman V, Staffordshire Regiment’s Official Mascot. The Staffordshire Regiment was given the honour in 1973, the year of the Borough’s OctoCentenary.