The CAG Network received special recognition last night at the Oxfordshire Charity and Volunteer Awards ceremony. The annual event held by the Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA) celebrates the achievements of the third sector to a packed audience at the Town Hall.
Sustainable Didcot won the “Environmental” Award for their Repair Cafe and Incredible Edible projects.
Makespace Oxford won the “Innovation” award for organisations who have “implemented significant change over the last year” and was also shortlisted for “Working Together” award recognising successful partnership projects. Makespace Oxford is a collaborative project between The CAG Project, Transition by Design, Aspire and Broken Spoke.
Sandford Talking Shop were shortlisted for the “Management of Volunteers” award and volunteer, David Richards, from Bicester Green was recognised with a Volunteer Award.
Alice Hemming, the CAG Project said: “We are really pleased that Makespace was presented with this award and thank OxLEP and OCVA for this recognition. We feel that this highlights the importance of this kind of pioneering approach in Oxfordshire and the demand for affordable space for community action. Sustainable Didcot have also worked so hard over the last year and really deserve that being celebrated.”
The Volunteer Award for David Richards was particularly meaningful. The citation read out was: “This is a very special award because it is made after David’s life was cut short on 5 April when he was involved in a motorbike accident while out riding. His colleagues at Bicester Green have said that there is a ‘David-shaped hole’ each Friday. After attending workshops on upcycling and bike reconditioning, he became an integral part of the bike team, working alongside Jim Tanner who, with Kevin Harding will receive the award on behalf of David and his family. Among many notable achievements are the time he aided the recovery of the workshop after a break-in, keeping up everyone’s spirits and sharing years of experience in industry to bring a methodical approach. The last bike he organised has now been handed to one of the Syrian families of Bicester and he leaves an outstanding legacy as a volunteer.”
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