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The winner of this award, despite not being enjoying the best of health, set up the Helping Hands Craft Group in Longford, Neath Abbey. Members include local ladies and adults with learning difficulties. Together, the club has consistently raised money for local projects as well as supporting International Charities in Africa and Romania.

 

Our winner also helped the Caewathan Community Centre in Skewen to gain funding to set up their own playgroup ….and recently she secured funding for a project that will see numerous voluntary groups in Neath come together to make a tapestry to depict local landmarks.

 

 

Our Business Person of the Year is an example to all budding entrepreneurs ...... it’s a story that shows the diversity of businesses in the area. The nomination was made by several people including representatives from Business Connect.

 

Our winner set up his thriving business at Baglan and now has a second site in Pendine.  Dragon Feeds is an innovative company which has developed environmentally-friendly, sustainable fish food for the fishing industry.

 

The business has attracted worldwide attention. Prince Charles has met our winner to discuss his ideas and the company has recently expanded into farming rainbow trout. In fact, a well known supermarket chain are so impressed with the quality of the trout being produced by Dragon Feeds’ that they are looking to stock our winner’s products in supermarkets across Britain.

 

Our Child of Courage received many nominations from friends, family members as well as teaching staff at Birchgrove Comp. All nominations described a truly remarkable young person.   Amy from Llansamlet is just 15 and has endured ill health all her life. She has been in and out of hospital since birth with a very cruel debilitating progressive illness. Her condition remains undiagnosed.

 

Amy’s Mum and Dad describe the effects of her illness and treatment courses in great detail. At the same time everyone that nominated her speaks of a bright, articulate young person who has achieved great things in her battle to survive.

 

The winner of Mum of the Year was nominated by her husband Craig.

 

They have two disabled children and Craig says “from first thing in the morning until last thing at night she is there with her care”.  Craig suffered a brain injury a couple of years ago and says times have been very hard but our Mum of the Year never complains. Craig also says his wife had a tough upbringing with her father leaving at an early age and her mother suffering from Cancer. Craig went on to write: “The love and care she gives our children and seeing them smile despite what they go through every day with their disabilities fills me with love and admiration. The love I felt for her when we met – I still feel now”.

 

Our winner was nominated by her Mum Bethan who wrote: “I realise that every parent believes their child is the greatest in the world - but my daughter has an extra special - unexplainable gift. She is my 'Angel'!!!

 

I am Diabetic - dependant on insulin. I suffer from Hypoglaecemic attacks- commonly known as Hypos. A Hypo can range from something as minor as feeling a little dizzy- through to sudden loss of movement and unconsciousness! My 'Angel' has a natural ability to not only help me whilst I am 'Hypo’ she somehow knows when I am going to go Hypo.

 

Recently, while coming home from a Swimming Lesson I managed to put Lauren - and my younger son Lloyd into my car. I then had a sudden Hypo where I lost consciousness. When I came round (some 3 hours later) my 'Angel' was sat in the passenger side of the car- with a bottle of lucozade in her hand waiting for me. She had managed to give my son Lloyd some water also.

 

All of this may not sound so special - but my beautiful 'Angel' Lauren is only 3!

 

 

 

The winner of this award was also nominated by her Mum Helen from Bonymaen.

 

These are Helen’s words: “ My daughter is 14 years of age and from a very young age she has not only battled with learning difficulties – dyslexia and Miers Irlam syndrome but has been a carer to me. My husband and I tried to get formal assessments done at her Primary school but whilst they accepted she had problems we were told were other children worse off than her. When Alex moved to Comprehensive School she became very withdrawn spent endless hours crying- not eating and some days refused to go to school. She said she felt like a NOBODY. This was very hard for a mum to hear. Alex has achieved so much since those very dark days. After joining Swansea Stingrays disability club she gradually started to enter swimming competitions. She was chosen to represent Wales last November in Disability swimming and now trains with Eleanor Simmons and David Roberts.

 

She has done all this and been carer for me. She is caring and sociable young lady and supports me, my husband and her disabled grandmother. Alex - Mammy and Daddy are very proud of you”.

 

 

The award goes this year to a couple – a very special couple.

Our winners were nominated by Sarah Hill from Manselton. She got to know them by serving them at Tesco in Swansea Marina. They have been foster carers for some 44 years. At present they care for Jason who has cerebral palsy, is wheelchair bound and needs attention 24 hours a day.

 

Sarah writes: “The saddest thing is, Jean has been diagnosed with bladder cancer and this puts extra pressure on Mr Thomas”. She goes on to say “I find it beautiful when I listen to him – he is not a moaner – he is so proud of what he and Jean do”.

 

 

 

Our Teacher of the Year was nominated by Mrs Alison Pearson from Neath.
Her son Sam goes to Maes -y- Coed Special School in Bryncoch – he’s 13 and is severely autistic.

 

Before coming into contact with our Teacher of the Year, Sam was an unhappy child unable to communicate or play with other children and would self harm.

15 months ago this all changed as Sam developed a special bond with our winner. Sam has now learned to interact with others and has learned to like himself. His Mum says that our winner has turned his life around.

 

 

 

 

Our Dad of the Year is from Llansamlet. His very touching nomination was sent in by his wife Caroline. Quite independently our judges chose this Dad as our winner.

You see – we have already heard about his daughter Amy-Claire who received the Child of Courage Award.

 

It must be rare for two family members to win an award on the same night  - but this Dad is a rare person indeed. What we didn’t mention earlier is that Amy’s Mum Caroline also has a progressive illness and has long spells in hospital too.

 

Caroline writes: “without him our lives would be unbearable – he truly deserves to be Dad of the Year”.

 

 

 

 

Our Good Samaritan was nominated by his friend and neighbour Peter Davies.

Peter worked for the N.H.S. as a staff nurse for 32yrs. Peter had to retire after a severe back injury – he is now unable to walk or care for himself.

 

John our Award Winner is 67 and is at Peter’s beck and call 24/7.

 

Peter wrote on his nomination: “I suffer from a great deal of pain and to see John achieve the award would ease my pain more than any pain killers!.

 

Our other next door neighbour is 84 and lost his wife a year ago. John also keeps an eye on him. John has never been a 'carer' for anyone in his life - but in his old age he is doing a brilliant job.”

 

The award for Contribution to Sport goes to a special person who has been involved with sport at a grass roots level for years. Working with youngsters in the Bonymaen area, our winner has changed and influenced the lives of teenagers for the better.

He was nominated by Julie Todd from Treboeth. Julie wanted to thank our winner for making a positive difference to her Son’s life - helping him to keep out of trouble and achieve his dream of becoming a professional Boxer!

 

Julie says of our winner – in the words of Tina Turner - he’s Simply The Best!

 

Again, this award was presented to a couple – a special couple Sheila and Clive
from Port Talbot who were nominated by their friend Carole Morgan.

 

Sheila and Clive’s son Ian was diagnosed with Nurofibromatosis in 1990 and spent a lot of time in hospital undergoing surgery in Cardiff, Oxford and London.

To help the hospital trust try to understand the genes that cause this illness Sheila and Clive decided to raise awareness and at the same time raise money to enable the research to continue.

 

They then went a step further and set up a charity trust in 1997. As the fund raising progressed Sheila and Clive turned their attention to other worthwhile causes including local hospitals and cancer charities.

 

Sadly Ian passed away in April 2001 aged 21 however they have continued to fund raise for various charities and to date their total raised exceeds 100 thousand pounds. Last year a research centre in was set up at Cardiff University and in recognition of Sheila and Clive’s work - the project has been dedicated to Ian’s memory.

 

 

 

This special award was created by our title sponsors. Staff at their SA1 headquarters made nominations via the company’s intranet.

 

Admiral has an open, friendly and fun company culture and values its staff as individuals. The Award was created so that Admiral staff could be part of this event by nominating those who make a difference to their lives or the wider local community.

 

John Prosser made the winning nomination. John lives in Llanelli and wanted to pay tribute and thank the team of local health trust carers in Carmarthenshire who look after terminally ill people at their own homes. They helped John’s wife live to the end of her far too short life with dignity.

 

John wrote: “the team constantly surprised me with their care and compassion – they walked to our house when the snow was bad – they helped her – they helped me”.