All the winners have now been announced at The Express and Echo Pride of Exeter Awards. See the full list below and well done to all those involved!Carer of the Year – Dominic Stacey
IT was just a week, but it encapsulated his total love and commitment to caring for his terminally ill son.
Dominic Stacey, 36, spent a week in a wheelchair in August to taste the life of his 10-year-old son, also named Dominic.
Little Dom, as he is nicknamed, suffers from the terminal muscle-wasting disorder Duchenne, as well as the bone disease osteoporosis. His father took on the 'A Week in the Seat' challenge by doing everyday activities – from cooking to clubbing.
He managed to raise more than £1,600 for two hot water tubs to help his son and a nine-year-old boy in Brixham. The family took the hard decision to move from North Devon to Pinhoe, because they wanted to have better access to medical care.Armed Forces award – Capt Chris Gillespie
CAPTAIN Chris Gillespie is Welfare Officer at 6th Battalion The Rifles, Exeter's Army Reserve Infantry unit.
He has dedicated 35 years of his life in full-time service to his country. But it's not just for his soldiering that he has been nominated, it's also for his compassion and tireless dedication, looking after the welfare of colleagues including injured soldiers and bereaved families, despite having suffered personal loss himself.
Captain Chris Gillespie QGM* was born in Newton Abbot in 1964. He went to Knowles Hill Comprehensive, before joining The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment in 1980, at 16.
Chris has served 14 years on operational service; his first deployment was at 19. By 25 he was a Corporal and had been awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM); an honour awarded for exemplary bravery. By the age of 29 Chris, now a Sergeant, was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal for the second time. Since its inception in 1974 only 12 members of the British Armed Forces have been recognized in this way; a truly inspiring achievement.
Chris returned home to Devon 10 years ago and settled in Exeter with his wife Kate – a Nurse at the RD & E – and his daughter Anna, who was born in Exeter. For the past eight years Chris has been Welfare Officer at 6 RIFLES. His job has been to make sure that the soldiers who are mobilized and their families – who are spread from Cornwall to Shropshire – are cared for before, during and after deployments.
Six hundred Army Reservists from 6 RIFLES have been mobilized on operations in the past decade, the majority to Afghanistan. Tragically, three soldiers from the unit have been killed in action. More have suffered life-changing injuries. Throughout it all, Chris has been the life-line for scores of families as they sought to understand why their loved ones were being mobilized, and in helping some of them come to terms with bereavement, he has also been the vital Army link for injured soldiers trying to rebuild their lives.
For many Reservist's families, Operation HERRICK, the codename for the British military operation in Afghanistan, was an agonizing and stressful time, as many had no experience of the Armed Forces whatsoever. Chris prepared soldiers and reassured their families before mobilization by arranging briefing evenings to explain the support offered by the Army during deployments and beyond. After Chris' briefings, they felt reassured and better-prepared. The soldiers also trusted that, with Chris in charge, their families had someone to turn to if the worst were to happen.Community group of the year – The Volunteers of Wonford Luncheon Club
THE luncheon club has been in operation for 32 years.
During this time it has been staffed by a great team of volunteers who provide care, friendship and a good meal to elderly members of the community.
The club was started in a small way, using the old Wonford Youth Club room at the Bradley Rowe School.
The team give so much of their time and care it is worth entering them for this award.
The team of volunteers are themselves senior citizens.
Come and meet them on a Thursday, between 9am and 1.30pm.Environmental Hero of the year, under-18 – Montgomery Primary School
KEEN on all things green are pupils at Montgomery Primary School in St Thomas, Exeter.
And no wonder, with the Green Team there producing its very own newsletter to let everyone know what they have achieved and what they are planning for the future.
And they have clearly achieved quite a lot – the evidence is a cheque for £100 for completing the third branch on their first tree.
Gardening has been high on the agenda as the Green Team "lost" its garden when they moved into their new school.
Last winter, for the first time, they have over-wintered garlic, onions and broad beans, have planted some early potatoes and planted a crop of daffodils to add some spring colour to the grounds.
Cats have been a problem but they have received donations so they can "cat-proof" some of their planters.
The Green Team has also been concentrating on helping wildlife and has expanded to include wildlife champions, working with Devon Wildlife Trust.
A bug hotel has been constructed and this year the Green Team is going to concentrate on creating and improving their wildlife garden.
They are very keen that it should be a space for the whole school to enjoy.
Elsewhere they are working hard to improve the school pond.
Already they are looking forward to a spot of pond-dipping to see what creatures have been attracted to make their home there.
And, aside from working hard on the Big Project III, the Green Team is getting the whole school involved in collecting empty two-litre plastic bottles.
They want to collect 4,000 so they can use them to build a plastic bottle greenhouse which everyone is to be involved in designing, choosing the best position in the grounds and so on.
The cheque was presented to the Green Team by Sally Fryer, recycling officer for Exeter City Council, on behalf of Green Team sponsor Gregory Distribution.Good neighbour of the year – Wendy Outlaw
SINCE the death of her husband last year, Wendy has dedicated herself to her Christian faith by helping others.
The 82-year-old became the oldest street pastor in Exeter in July 2013, and commits to going out in the city one in every four Fridays, between 10pm and 4am.
She has been hailed as a champion of her neighbours – comforting distressed members of the public, helping inebriated people to get home, and even breaking up fights.
This year she began making blankets for homeless people in Exeter and has encouraged other people at her church in Exeter to do the same.Environmental hero of the year – Sue Lawrence
SUE has been the long-term organiser of Exeter Parks Watch.
It works with police and the city council to ensure our parks are looked after, and are safe and interesting places to visit.
She has been involved in the scheme for many years, encouraging volunteers to learn more about our parks and maintain them as green and safe places to visit.Teacher of the year – Mrs Hallett & Mrs Lockyer and Matt Jenkins
MRS Hallett (teacher) and Mrs Lockyer (assistant) teach pre-school at St Sidwell's. Their energy and enthusiasm is amazing. Mrs Hallett cycles in from Exminster every day and then takes on a large class of two to five-year-olds along with Mrs Lockyer. The needs of these children vary massively as some may need help with toileting, to those that can already read and write. St Sidwell's also has a large number of children for who English is not their first language, so they have to find a way to communicate with these little ones. Their mood is always great, greeting each child every morning with a smile. They face cut backs and a lack of resources as a challenge. They scour charity shops to find additional resources for the children as the nursery budget is often not enough to cover the basics. They make taking your child to pre-school a pleasure.
MATT Jenkins is one of Exeter Deaf Academy's British Sign Language (BSL) Tutors.
He joined the academy in September 2011 and also teaches at Signite, a Sign Language training centre based in Bristol.
Throughout the summer holidays Matt also volunteers his time as an art leader with the National Deaf Children's Society. Before continuing with Matt's reason for nomination; imagine you can't read this. Imagine when people talk, you can't understand. When you say something no one listens, when you try and express yourself, you are ignored. This can be the reality for many Deaf children. Deafness is more complex than just a lack of hearing; it can affect your access and participation in the wider community the rest of us live in. In Britain, our world is predominantly reliant on speaking & listening and written English, but if you have never heard English then words are just marks on paper; how do you know what these marks sound like and so how do you develop a word bank for reading and writing? Exeter Deaf Academy staff work tirelessly to ensure our students can develop into well-rounded, confident individuals who benefit from a sense of belonging in a community which shares core values, language and culture. As a fully bilingual environment, teaching in both BSL and Engli sh, we are committed to tailoring our students' education according to their individual level of needs so all our learners leave us equipped to their fullest potential to engage effectively with both signing and non-signing people. For many academy students acquiring a language can be a daunting experience. Since Matt joined three years ago he has transformed the teaching methods of British Sign Language at Exeter Deaf Academy. He is full of energy and loves to teach BSL, inspiring his learners by making lessons enjoyable and fun. He draws on his invaluable experiences having been brought up in the Deaf community and innovatively incorporates these in the classroom. Matt's students enjoy learning from his funny stories about Deaf Club, his family and their pets. To bring language to life, he uses Deaf poetry, role play, charades and signed songs to introduce new vocabulary to our students. Matt has worked successfully with students with challenging behaviour and it is his variety and imaginative approach to teaching that allows Deaf Academy students of all levels and ability to access and develop language, which in turn helps them to develop emotionally and socially. In addition to his classroom techniques, Matt also believes that socialising with learners outside the classroom in a relaxed atmosphere can help them to learn. He regularly organises theatre and shopping trips and encourages his classes to watch programmes like BSL Zone and BBC See Hear. To ensure our students can understand what is happening in the world around them, Matt creates a weekly bite size BSL current affairs and news update. He is also actively involved in enabling students to engage with the wider community, helping them to raise awareness of deafness and Exeter Deaf Academy. Alongside supporting students with their language development, Matt recognises the importance of his students learning about Deaf issues and culture, a vital part of their identity as young Deaf people. In 2013, as part of the celebrations for the 10th Anniversary of the recognition of BSL as an official language, Matt involved his students in an organised march to Devon's County Hall in Exeter. The march commemorated the achievements of the Deaf community securing British Sign Language as an officially recognised language. Featured on BBC News Devon, this was a fantastic experience for the Academy's students and for the Deaf and wider community of Exeter, a celebration to be incredibly proud of.Hero of the year – Martin Lynn
MARTIN Lynn was nominated for the Hero of the Year award by his friend Barry Pollard.
Barry wrote: "I wish to nominate a good friend Martin Lynn for the Pride of Britain award 2014."Martin is suffering from a very rare form of lymphoma, which is not curable.
"Following a number of years undergoing various forms of treatment, he is currently participating in a clinical trial based at St Thomas Hospital in London, where he is receiving a course of 16 treatments of chemotherapy sponsored by an American drug company, as his condition is so rare.
"There is no guarantee of his treatment being a success, and it involves travelling from Exeter to London and overnight stays, during which he takes time to chat to less fortunate people on the streets, often giving money and leaving them with a Fez Welcome Card and a smile.Young hero of the year – Bradley Oliver, Jack Lavers-Mason and Bailey Fettis
BRADLEY Oliver suffers with (POTs) Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, (ANS) Automatic Nervous Dysfunctional Syndrome, and Severe Chronic ICD Pick Head Pains. He suffers daily unbelievable pain yet inspires so many. He bakes for charity and works to raise awareness for the charity STARS (Syncope Trust and Reflex anoxic Seizures) which offers support.
His mum Katrina said: "Bradley is amazing and I'm so proud he has been shortlisted." as that means the judges have seen a small part of how amazing he is for themselves in his nomination. Brad has had so much thrown at in his life time. His grandmother often says imagine what he could do on full cylinders. Brad doesn't let his conditions stop him trying anything, and truthfully the pain he suffers is longer than the names of his conditions put together. He can be in pain day and night, it hits him at anytime, reducing him to tears and knocking off his feet. But he is a fighter! Brad hates to see other people suffering and loves to help people whenever he can. People come to me nearly everyday and say how much he has done for them and sometimes he has done it with just his normal chit chat, sharing with them what he is doing or letting them hear his future plans etc. he is such a positive soul.
JACK Lavers-Mason was nominated for this award by Mr M Eaton.
Mr Eaton wrote: "Jack is a lovely young boy who cannot be like other children when he wants to be.
I spent a lot of time with Jack while on holiday and people stared at him for being covered up, but he just dug in the sand and played like other children even though the sun was shining."
BAILEY is a real fighter – having survived six major and nine other operations for a tumour on his brain caused by a rare inherited disease.
The 13-year-old suffers from Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). He lives in the St Thomas area of Exeter with mother Samantha, 40, and brothers Harvey, 10, and Milo, 7, who also have the condition. Rather than complaining about his hardships, Bailey embraces his disease as part of him.
His mother says: "Nothing fazes him. He never gets upset or frightened. Sometimes you would think he was just going into hospital to have a tooth out."
The Echo has followed his story since he was aged five in 2005 when he was flown to Newcastle to meet footballer Alan Shearer thanks to a wish-granting charity.City ambassador of the year – Jo Pavey
A GOLD medal at the age of 40, and a new mum again, Jo Pavey is an inspiration for Exeter and the surrounding area for her sporting excellence. She is a role model and leading athlete of her generation, and helps to put Devon on the worldwide stage.Judges' choice award – David Lockwood
DAVID co-founded the Bike Shed and has been co-director since it opened, assuming full responsibility in February 2013.
Prior to the Bike Shed, David worked as an actor and director in Britain, France and Palestine.
He has led on all creative decisions at the Bike Shed Theatre, and has also directed productions of The Dumb Waiter, Beanfield, A Christmas Carol: Smoke & Mirrors, and Playing with Snails and Bunnies, among others.
David is responsible for the artistic and strategic decisions in the organisation, and ultimately responsible for all programming.The Pride of Exeter – Capt Chris Gillespie
CAPTAIN Chris Gillespie is Welfare Officer at 6th Battalion The Rifles, Exeter's Army Reserve Infantry unit.
He has dedicated 35 years of his life in full-time service to his country. But it's not just for his soldiering that he has been nominated, it's also for his compassion and tireless dedication, looking after the welfare of colleagues including injured soldiers and bereaved families, despite having suffered personal loss himself.
Captain Chris Gillespie QGM* was born in Newton Abbot in 1964. He went to Knowles Hill Comprehensive, before joining The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment in 1980, at 16.
Chris has served 14 years on operational service; his first deployment was at 19. By 25 he was a Corporal and had been awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM); an honour awarded for exemplary bravery. By the age of 29 Chris, now a Sergeant, was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal for the second time. Since its inception in 1974 only 12 members of the British Armed Forces have been recognized in this way; a truly inspiring achievement.
Chris returned home to Devon 10 years ago and settled in Exeter with his wife Kate – a Nurse at the RD & E – and his daughter Anna, who was born in Exeter. For the past eight years Chris has been Welfare Officer at 6 RIFLES. His job has been to make sure that the soldiers who are mobilized and their families – who are spread from Cornwall to Shropshire – are cared for before, during and after deployments.
Six hundred Army Reservists from 6 RIFLES have been mobilized on operations in the past decade, the majority to Afghanistan. Tragically, three soldiers from the unit have been killed in action. More have suffered life-changing injuries. Throughout it all, Chris has been the life-line for scores of families as they sought to understand why their loved ones were being mobilized, and in helping some of them come to terms with bereavement, he has also been the vital Army link for injured soldiers trying to rebuild their lives.
For many Reservist's families, Operation HERRICK, the codename for the British military operation in Afghanistan, was an agonizing and stressful time, as many had no experience of the Armed Forces whatsoever. Chris prepared soldiers and reassured their families before mobilization by arranging briefing evenings to explain the support offered by the Army during deployments and beyond. After Chris' briefings, they felt reassured and better-prepared. The soldiers also trusted that, with Chris in charge, their families had someone to turn to if the worst were to happen.
