Villager of the Year Award 2021

Published: 18 March 2021

Villager of the Year 2021 Award

Over the past year the covid pandemic has placed unprecedented pressures on the Liss Community.     Many individuals have responded magnificently in offering help and support to others and this has been reflected in the number of nominations for Villager of the Year and the contributions they have highlighted.   The Parish Council wishes to recognise this position and therefore exceptionally, is awarding the Villager of the Year to three people who have all made an outstanding contribution to the village in these very difficult circumstances.

Jenny Bennett 

Founder and coordinator of the Liss and Surrounding Villages Community Board, on Facebook,  formerly known as the Coronavirus Support Facebook page, which has played a  major role in bringing people together and providing support to the community since the beginning of the covid pandemic, not to mention setting up the Halloween trail for the children of the village to enjoy.

Ruth Taylor

Founder and coordinator of the Liss Forest covid support network, which provides provisions and support to those in a vulnerable position, as well as administrator for the Liss and Surrounding Villages Community Board.  She has also been an active member of the Liss Residents Association for many years and was deputy chaiman of SOTI (Save Our Temple Inn).

Ella Townsend 

Supporter and fundraiser for the Crossover centre who during the first lockdown established a charity bookshop in her garage which has raised thousands of pounds for the Crossover Centre as well as funds for the Brownies and the Liss Food Bank.   She also initiated the Crossover service to address ‘period poverty’ amongst disadvantages families. 

Chair’s comments

The whole council was impressed by the number and quality of nominations we received this year.  We felt that we could not do justice to the contribution made to the community by those nominated if we limited our award to a single Villager.    I hope that by choosing three Villagers we can honour their individual efforts but also reflect the efforts of so many villagers as the whole community has come together.