The Plunkett Foundation* held their Rural Community Business Awards ceremony on Thursday 25 November, celebrating the best of the UK’s community-owned businesses and the inspiring achievements and selfless commitments of the kind-hearted individuals behind them.
We are proud to have supported their very first Young Person Award, which went to the very inspiring Toby Carlton.
Toby is 15, and has shown an incredible amount of kindness and hard work to support his local community. He works tirelessly, using all his spare time to volunteer for both the JSRNSD community hub and the community pub in Jaywick Sands, Essex. He is loved by locals because of his steadfast attitude and sheer willingness to help anyone and solve problems that come up.
His community has an aging population, who have fallen in love with him because he’s always there to help in anyway, either by doing some gardening for free, or lifting and moving things, or through word of mouth, finding things they need in the community. He not only helps obtain and stacks the shelves for the local food bank, he also distributes them while chatting and getting to know people and making them feel at ease in difficult situations.
Toby has repaired mobility scooters for locals who needed them; because they were unable to afford shop prices, he repaired them for free and worked with a local mechanic to make sure they’re safe. He also helps in the community pub, collecting and washing glasses and refilling the drink fridges – he’s always running around all day to help. He even sings karaoke for the locals that request him, while looking after his siblings while his mother volunteers for shifts in the pub to support her mental health.
Toby is such an unassuming and selfless young man who never says no, never thinks anything is too much trouble and will always work his hardest to help people that need it. He’s like a mini tornado always running around for someone, doing something and never expecting anything in return.
“Toby truly deserves recognition for what he does to realise the impact he has on his local community. We’ve seen first-hand the integral role young people play in their community, especially over the last 18 months and impact of the pandemic. So, we want to congratulate everyone for their hard work and dedication. We’re proud to have sponsored this award, it’s part of our central mission to create thriving communities and empower lives,” says Cita Jagot, Communities & Involvement Manager at Abri.
The awards were supported by Dame Prue Leith DBE, restaurateur, chef, television presenter, journalist, businesswoman, cookery writer and novelist.
Commenting on the awards Dame Prue Leith DBE said: “Plunkett’s awards celebrate the hard work of everyday people who come together and create extraordinary businesses that make their communities a better place to live. During the pandemic they gave selflessly of themselves in order to establish thriving rural businesses that can provide a future for communities that desperately want the heart of their villages to survive.”
You can read more about the award winners on the Plunkett Foundation website www.plunkett.co.uk.