Shropshire committee member Heulwen Charles (left) has been nominated for the farming community champion prize in the Shropshire Star’s ‘Great Big Thank You Awards 2019’.

The awards celebrate the contributions of local people to the Shropshire community. The farming community champion prize recognises an individual that has shown dedication and hard work to help others in farming.

Heulwen, a farmer’s daughter from Market Drayton, said: “I’m very honoured to have been nominated.

“I first got involved with R.A.B.I over 20 years ago when I worked as an NFU group secretary. I visited someone the charity helped and saw what a difference R.A.B.I made. I realised they could help my mother, so I gave the charity a call and they sent a welfare officer to see her. R.A.B.I was wonderful with my mum, she thought they were the best thing since sliced bread.

“I thought to myself ‘this is one hell of an organisation’ and I soon joined the Shropshire committee.”

West Midlands regional manager Kate Jones, who nominated Heulwen for the award, said: “If anything needs doing, then Heulwen will volunteer to help, whether it’s making 300 mince pies for a carol service, or doing a sponsored zip wire or bungee jump. She has helped raise thousands in the ten years that I have known her.”

Heulwen added: “The Shropshire committee has become a little family and I’ve made many good friends. We try to put the ‘fun’ into fundraising and we have a hoot. It’s hard work, but we enjoy doing it.”

Pictured above are Heulwen Charles and former trustee Pat Davies.

Find out how you can join a committee.