Exceptional Achievement

Last year’s winner Linda Pattison said the Proud of Barnsley Award had given a boost to her charity, Barnsley Independent Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support (BIADS).

“More people affected by dementia are getting in touch with us and we have more volunteers,” she said. The group also applied for and won some funding from Lloyds TSB and now supports over 100 local families affected by dementia.

Linda, who has spent more than 26 years improving the lives of Barnsley people affected by dementia, set up BIADS after becoming a full-time carer for her mum Nellie who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

She said: “There are a lot of national initiatives around dementia at the moment, such as ‘dementia friends,’ and it’s great to look to the future. But we must remember there are many people in this situation now, including 3,000 in Barnsley, who need our practical support.”

Linda was nominated last year for the Proud of Barnsley Awards by her colleague Pam Evans and other BIADS staff.

The winner of this award will be a person who has shown outstanding contribution to Barnsley by significantly enhancing the town’s reputation, building bridges between communities or reducing inequality.

The following points are intended as guidelines only, to help you with your nomination.

Have they have worked tirelessly for the good of others?
Have they fought for a better quality of life for residents in their community?
Are they the voice of the village or district where they live?

You can directly nominate someone for this award, but the judges will also look at nominees in other categories who may fit the bill in their opinion. This award must go to someone who has made an outstanding difference to their life, community, family, school or organisation. If they did it against all the odds, they could be our winner.

Category Sponsor

asos

www.asos.com

ASOS.com is the largest employer in Barnsley after the council. Although its head office is in London, much of its most important work is done at its global Fulfilment Centre in Grimethorpe, which has over 1,500 employees at peak times, sending out thousands of packages a day to its fashion-loving customers worldwide.

The move to Barnsley in January 2011 was one of the biggest changes ASOS has made as a company. Thanks to the wonderful people now working with ASOS, it was a huge success. The dedication of its Barnsley staff has been second-to-none and makes ASOS feel very proud to be a part of the community.

For the second year running, ASOS has chosen to sponsor the Proud of Barnsley ‘Exceptional Achievement’ award as it shows that one person can make a difference in the lives of many. The company was extremely impressed with the achievements highlighted at last year’s winners’ ceremony, which demonstrate that no matter the situation, with grit and determination, individuals can make a hugely positive impact on others and their surroundings. As a key provider of employment in the area, ASOS wanted to say thank you to the Barnsley community for its support and highlight the amazing work, often behind the scenes, that people do to make life better for others.

Louise McCabe, head of corporate responsibility for ASOS, said: “Within my role for ASOS, I have been responsible for our community programme since we moved to Grimethorpe and it’s been a real pleasure getting to know Barnsley.

“ASOS has been very proud to support several local projects over the past couple of years but the real heroes here are those volunteers and organisers that plug away week after week, year after year, giving up their time and energy to provide inspiring opportunities for young people and others. It’s great that this award goes some way to recognising them.”

It’s always a pleasure to be in Barnsley and work with the many inspiring local individuals who give their time and energy to the benefit of the community.

Louise McCabe

Head of Corporate Responsibility for ASOS