Local heroes awarded

Swale’s community heroes were recognised and celebrated at this year’s Civic Award ceremony.

Every year Swale Borough Council asks the public to nominate residents who work tirelessly to better their communities, with the mayor and judging panel honouring them with awards.

Steven Pullen and Jordan Chan, Kelly Kay and Michelle Henneker were awarded the Civic Award which commends their efforts to make Swale a better place.

Whilst Andrew Redman won the Mayor’s Lifetime Achievement Award which recognises a person’s lifelong commitment to helping others.

Ross Elderfield, Claire Ives, Finn Tumber, Lorraine March and Rebecca Breiner have also all been given the Highly Commended Award, thanking and recognising them for their selfless community work.

The mayor awarded the very special Award for Quick Thinking, Speedy Action and Bravery to three young local heroes, who’s quick thinking saved a man from drowning at the Minster Leas Beach.

Lastly, the mayor gave out the Mayor’s Special Award to Tracy Marsh the volunteer co-ordinator for local domestic abuse charity, Sateda, who the mayor fundraised for throughout the year.

Cllr Ben Martin, who presented the awards as Mayor before his Mayoral Term ended on Wednesday, said:

“It has been a true honour to be able to help celebrate the outstanding achievements and dedication of some truly exceptional individuals within Swale.

“Each award we presented tells a story — of going above and beyond, of leading by example, of making a difference in ways both big and small.

“It’s not always easy to stand out in a world that moves so fast, but these individuals have done just that!

“A big congratulations to everyone who won an award, and thank you to everyone who nominated someone, and to those who didn’t get awards - it was amazing to see all the great work around the borough.

“Let’s keep pushing boundaries, lifting each other up, and striving for kindness and compassion.”

Highly commended 

Ross Elderfield is a football coach in Sheerness who spearheaded the clubs first girls team – The Whippets Development Team, with the aim of encouraging more young girls to play football.  When he is not braving wet and windy weather training youth teams, he is organising fundraising events.

His nominator said: “he is an amazing fundraiser for so many charities and is always on hand to help local causes and charity projects.”

Claire Ives has been instrumental in setting up new services for people over the age of 50 and ensured a successful merger between two Age UK services. She brought together different charities under one roof to deliver services from the Heather House community hub in Sittingbourne. She is also the chair of the swale voluntary sector group which brings together organisations to make sure Swale’s most vulnerable are supported in a coherent impactful way.

Her nominator said: “there have been many benefits from her work specifically to those who are over 50 and living with dementia. The new hub that she has enabled means that many people can be supported, from homeless people to victims of domestic violence and many more. She works tirelessly to support the Faversham and Sittingbourne communities.”

Finn Tumber is dedicated to raising the awareness of mental health. He runs a yearly charity football match 'The Connor Mackay Cup', which last year raised £15,000 for mental health charities. He has a podcast which works to break the stigma of mental health and encourage people to talk. He organises and promotes events to get the community together and build friendships. He also volunteers regularly for initiatives such as at the children's Lego club.

His nominator said: “he is the most friendly, humble, kind and generous person I have ever met who will always put other people first and do anything he can to help people.”

Lorraine March, and her team care for over 600 animals a year including hedgehogs, foxes, birds and marine animals including seals. They aim to rescue wildlife found injured, sick or orphaned and treat, rehabilitate and then release them where possible. They also raise awareness for these amazing animals and promote road safety and warn against the dangers of littering.

Her nominator said: “she and her team have worked tirelessly looking after Kent’s wildlife. It’s very difficult to put into words the love and devotion of everyone involved in the care of our precious wildlife. They truly need recognition for this work which is completely volunteer driven no one is paid, and it is carried out with passion and total and unconditional love for the animals.”

Rebecca Breiner, suffered from hearing loss at an early age and learnt sign language through music. She formed the Song Signing Academy and is now an ambassador for the Charities Sign2Sing and Signhealth. Rather than sing with their voices, her choir sings with their hands in British Sign Language. She also offers online and in-person chances for Swale residents to learn sign language.

Her nominator said: “her dedication is amazing, and her volunteer team and choir make such a difference to so many lives not just the deaf community but also disabled people and disadvantaged in our community. Her workshops and courses have changed people’s lives. She has been through so many challenges in her own life and has created something amazing. I think Swale should be proud of her and recognise her for the amazing work she does.”

Civic award

Steven Pullen, who is sharing the award, has always helped others with a career as a first responder and ambulance driver. He is also the director and founding member of Swale Pride and has worked to ensure that the branch developed into the thriving community it is today.

His nominator said: “he has the ability to talk and listen to people and has the time for everyone. He has helped people to have a voice by what he does, and he makes them feel safe.  He is kind and hardworking and is always ready to help people no matter what time of day it is even if he has been at work all day.  In my opinion he is the perfect candidate for an award”

Jordan Chan - sharing the award with Steven - raised over £12,000 for charity and was the only Kent finalist for Mr Gay Great Britain, which he entered to raise awareness of LGBT issues across Swale. He also created a calendar to raise money and awareness for testicular cancer. He uses his platform to speak out against bullying and homophobia.

His nominator said: “he is a real model for the community with his positive can-do attitude, charity work and with the empathy and compassion he shows for Swale and his community. He has created numerous safe spaces and events for his local community and raised money for the last two Swale pride main summer events and will be doing the same for 2025.”

Kelly Kay, as chairperson of the Sittingbourne and District Carnival Association, took on the enormous challenge of restoring and improving the Sittingbourne Carnival, ensuring it could once again be a highlight of the year for the town. She devoted months of her personal time to rebuilding the event from the ground up.

Her nominator said: “without her selfless dedication, the Sittingbourne Carnival would not have been possible. She has given an extraordinary gift to the community-not just a single event, but the revival of a long-standing tradition that fosters pride, unity, and celebration. Her leadership and tireless voluntary work have had a lasting impact, and she is truly deserving of recognition through the Mayor of Swale's Civic Awards.”

Michelle Henneker has been at the forefront of coordinating support for displaced Ukrainians in Sittingbourne and Sheppey ever since the UK welcomed those fleeing the Russian invasion. She has facilitated language lessons, housing advice and support for the mental health and wellbeing of children and the opportunity for the local Ukrainian population to have a safe space to meet.

Her nominator said: “her enthusiasm, kindness and drive to help others has been pivotal in making Heather House a welcoming and friendly warm space and also in developing positive relationships with a range of volunteers and local support groups. She has worked hard in helping the community by welcoming 1,500 visitors to our warm space, served 650 affordable hot meals, served 159 free meals. She has helped tackle loneliness, promote mental wellbeing and skills development with the support of local groups and organisations via our community space”.

Mayor’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Andrew Redman has been a volunteer for H.M. Coastguard for over 43 years. He is a coastguard rescue officer and can get called out at any time of the day or night to a cliff rescue, someone stuck in the mud, missing person search or a water rescue. He has saved countless lives.

His nominator said: “the number of people he has helped, and lives saved are just remarkable.”

Mayor’s Special Award

Tracy Marsh is a volunteer Coordinator for SATEDA. Despite a huge workload she treats every victim of domestic abuse with the upmost compassion, care and respect helping them to rebuild their lives and realise that there is life after domestic abuse. People can access help, such as a food bank, Sharewear, counselling, the freedom programme, wellbeing events and other support because of her.

Her nominator said: “she looked after my daughter and I in some of our darkest times. She was an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on and a person to vent to and throughout it all, she always believed in us, even when we didn't believe in ourselves. As a domestic abuse victim, life is incredibly lonely, you often have no one to talk to, no one to listen to you, no one that you can ask for help, but she helps to relieve all your stresses and worries and is the most amazing yet selfless person who you will ever meet.  Words will never be able to express how grateful I am to her, and I hope that a Mayor's Civic Award will make her realise just how incredible she is and how thankful I am for the day that we met.”

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