A SELECTION of Mold residents have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to the community.

Mold Town Council held its first virtual Community Awards evening on March 25.

Mayor of Mold, Councillor Teresa Carberry, said: “This year Mold Town Council received over 150 nominations with 55 groups, businesses and individuals nominated.

"We often hear people say how difficult it is to pick the winners – but believe me it really was. It was inspirational to hear how people had worked in creative and multi-various ways to help others. "Quite simply, the nominees saw a local need and stepped in to fill it – they have combined compassion with pragmatism and many of us owe them a debt of gratitude.

"Everyone nominated has enriched the lives of our community, by their actions."

The winners were as follows:

Volunteering Award Under the Age of 25 - Rhian Williams.

Rhian, 19, has been volunteering in the community since the age of five. She was part of the Clubhouse project from 2006 and has volunteered alongside her mum, Karen, at many events in Mold including Live on the Square, Mold Carnival, MFest, Food Festival, Spring Clean and many more.

Rhian has also volunteered with OWL Cymru and throughout last year was volunteering at the Mold Community Shop.

Rhian Williams with mayor of Mold, Cllr Teresa Carberry

Rhian Williams with mayor of Mold, Cllr Teresa Carberry

Volunteering Award Aged 25 and Over - Victoria Lee.

Victoria helps to run Mold & Buckley Contact Club.

The Contact Club is a club for people with mixed abilities and Victoria helps organise and run the weekly club sessions, which include karaoke, discos, craft nights, sports nights, special party nights, and keep fit sessions.

Since the start of Covid, Victoria set up her own zoom meetings every Wednesday for club members to ensure they continue to get social interaction.

Victoria also goes for walks with members and supports them with personal care, shopping and the like.

She also shops for elderly people within the community, regularly seen shopping for at least five people at once and ensures they receive every item on their order. Victoria also volunteers at another local group, BuzzAh! and arranges craft projects for Cornerstone, all this in addition to working and being a mum to a toddler.

Cllr. Carberry, Victoria Lee and deputy mayor of Mold, Cllr Sarah Taylor.

Cllr. Carberry, Victoria Lee and deputy mayor of Mold, Cllr Sarah Taylor.

Sporting Achievement Award - Thomas Evans from Seishin Ryu Ju Jitsu.

Tom's not-for-profit martial arts organisation in Mold is aimed at low income families and disadvantaged children.

This includes buying uniforms and equipment for children for family's that cannot afford them, paying insurance fees or covering day to day fees so that that person or child can train.

He also runs regular women's self defence classes. Tom has also offered free lessons to children who are suffering with mental health issues or being bullied.

When Covid hit, Tom would do weekly wellness checks with all his students.

When he had a student finding things difficult, he would make a small care package just to brighten their day.

During the latest lockdown, Tom offered totally free fitness classes three times a week.

Cllr Carberry with Thomas Evans.

Cllr Carberry with Thomas Evans.

Community Project of the Year Award - Mold Community Shop

Mold Community Shop was set up on March 24, 2020 - the day after the first national lockdown was announced.

It has offered a lifeline to those isolating by providing free deliveries, with a total of 1,500 deliveries having been made.

The team of volunteers at the shop worked six days a week throughout 2020.

The Community Shop has also supplied over 1,000 of care packages to those who need within the community, free of charge. It supplied Deeside Round Table with around 1,000 emergency veg bags.

It closed its doors at the end of November 2020 but popped up again on Christmas Eve, offering free turkeys, veg and essential food items to anyone who needed and reopened on January 4 to help serve the community during the most recent lockdown.

The Community Shop closed at the end of February but the volunteers are still working at the Daniel Owen Centre operating as part of The Mold Community Fridge, a project that is all about helping as many as we can in need in the community with free care packages.

Mold Community Shop volunteers Deb Speakman, Ian Hodgkinson, Madison Lee, Gareth Williams, Karen Hodgkinson and Paula Blythen with Cllr Sarah Taylor

Mold Community Shop volunteers Deb Speakman, Ian Hodgkinson, Madison Lee, Gareth Williams, Karen Hodgkinson and Paula Blythen with Cllr Sarah Taylor

Business of the Year - Celtic Financial Planning Ltd.

During the pandemic, the team at Celtic Financial Planning have gone above and beyond in a number of ways to support their local community.

They purchased a 3D printer and supplies to produce over 150 full face shields, which were donated free to local carers, schools and health workers.

They also made a video for YouTube to show others how to do this.

They have provided free online workshops for businesses impacted by Covid, showing them how to apply for local authority grants, business support and putting furlough schemes into place.

Its team contacted clients to check they were ok and if needed, put them in touch with local charities so they could get shopping and care packages delivered safely.

The business has also donated £5,000 to local charities and projects, and has built a new website for NEWCIS that would give them the capability for people to communicate with them better online. This took over 100 hours to build and saved the charity over £10,000.

They have bought and donated laptops for Mold Alun where IT equipment has been short for students and donated more IT equipment to North Wales Recycle IT. They also carry out regular litter picks around the town and have donated and planted new trees in Mold and have funding for many more in the coming years.

Cllr Taylor, Rob Lewis, director of Celtic Financial Planning Ltd, and Cllr Carberry.

Cllr Taylor, Rob Lewis, director of Celtic Financial Planning Ltd, and Cllr Carberry.

Mayor’s Choice Award - David Rowe (local historian)

Councillor Carberry said “The Mayor’s Award is given to a group or individual who is considered to have made an extra ordinary contribution to their community or has provided inspiration to others.

"I had little hesitation and great pleasure in being able to present this award to David Rowe.

"He has both inspired me and generated within me a hitherto unknown interest in local history. He is someone who has repeatedly served this community, in a way unique to his skills, enthusiasm and expertise. He thoroughly deserved to have his many efforts and work for the town recognised.”

Cllr Carberry and David Rowe.

Cllr Carberry and David Rowe.

All winners received a special awards glass trophy, £50 Totally Mold vouchers and certificate.