Ryde Town Council recently honoured 16 Ryde residents to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
2 awards were presented: the Ryde Citizen award, the highest award of achievement the Town Council can give and the Freedom of Ryde.
The awards were made by local craftsmen in Ryde and presented by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight, Dr Jonathan Nainby-Luxmore, Ryde Mayor Councillor Michael Lilley, and Deputy Mayor Councillor Jenna Sabine.
The 9 to receive a Ryde Citizen Award were:
- Henry Adams – For his lifelong service to Ryde as a local businessman, former local councillor and a committed supporter and volunteer of Ryde Carnival.
- Anthony Brook – For lifelong service to the Ryde Community through work and voluntary service at St Mary’s youth group and Ryde Saints Football Club.
- Judith Day – For service to the community of Ryde through tirelessly raising funds for many local charities and good causes including IW Strollers and Ryde Carnival.
- Derek Sandy – For committed service to the community of Ryde through provision over 16 years of Love Mondays on Ryde beaches and positive promotion of Ryde.
- Heath Monaghan – For community service to Ryde through the establishment of Ryde Aspire and restoration of Holy Trinity Church, Dover Street as a community resource.
- Katrina Mary Fraser – For community service to Ryde through her work as a community psychiatric nurse, establishing and running a lunch club for the elderly at Ryde Aspire.
- Lindsey Jacqueline MacFarlene – For service within Ryde’s business and voluntary sectors through the establishment and leadership of Ryde Shop Watch and her support for Ryde Carnival.
- Tessa James – For service to the Ryde community especially the most vulnerable.
- Rosie Johnson – For her campaigning for the welfare of wildlife on the Island and in Ryde and the establishment during the COVID-19 Pandemic a group called Young Nature Watch IW with the aim of connecting with other young people on the Island who were also passionate about wildlife.
The 7 to receive the Freedom of Ryde were:
- Raymond Allen – For his lifelong work in the entertainment world, his dedication to Ryde, and his support to many good causes in the town
- Des Murphy – For his many years of voluntary service to Ryde in developing Ryde’s Saints Football Club and support of young people of the town
- Carol Jaye – For her commitment, enthusiasm, and vision in the development of the thriving art movement in the Town
- Mike Fitt – For his lifelong service to the environment and horticulture nationally and locally in Ryde
- Charles Chapman – For his lifelong service to civic duty and public service within Ryde
- Diana Conyers – For her extensive voluntary work in the community – specifically with Aspire and the Citizens Advice Bureau Ryde especially throughout COVID-19 Pandemic
- Peter Woodnutt – For his lifelong service to the town through business, retailing and support of the Island’s LGBTQ+ community
The awards ceremony was rounded off by a thank you poem written by Peter Woodnutt on behalf of the 7, with a special mention to Eddie Minghella and John Ackroyd, previous recipients of the Freedom of Ryde.
The crowd then headed to Ryde Marina to be joined by members of the community to watch the beacon being lit by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Dr Jonathan Nainby-Luxmore.
Dr Jonathan Nainby-Luxmore, said:
“The awards ceremony was wonderful, and the various winners are truly exceptional members of the community. The awards were so thoroughly well-deserved, and I was humbled by all that they have done for the community they live in and the visitors to Ryde.”
