Celebrations galore at the Basildon Borough Volunteer Awards 2025

The annual Basildon Council Volunteer Awards took place on Tuesday, 4 March 2025, at the Towngate Theatre in Basildon, where the borough’s volunteers were celebrated for their dedication and selfless contributions to our communities.  

The event, hosted by Basildon’s Mayor, Councillor Allan Davies, recognized the exceptional efforts of volunteers across a variety of categories. Each winner received a trophy, a certificate of appreciation, and a prize voucher.  

Councillor Allan Davies, Mayor of Basildon, expressed his admiration for the volunteers, saying: 

“It was an honour to spend the evening celebrating our volunteers for their selfless service and the work they do to support our communities. Volunteers are the unsung heroes who dedicate their time and energy, and it is only fitting that we take this opportunity to celebrate them. My thanks also go to our sponsors, as without them, this event would not be possible.”  

The evening was also filled with entertainment from Billericay Men’s Shed, the Performance Lab, and La Danse Fantastique, ensuring a lively and celebratory atmosphere for all attendees.  

Winners and Highly Commended Volunteers  

Below is the full list of the winners and highly commended nominees for each award category, as well as their respective sponsors:  

Lifetime Achievement Award:

Award Sponsor: Mother’s Kitchen Cafe  

• Highly Commended – Sine Surridge – Friends Of Northlands Park 

• Winner – Lydia Law – Young Essex Assembly

Young Volunteer of the Year (11 – 21yrs):  

Award Sponsor: Atlantic Pacific Global Logistics Ltd.

• Highly Commended – Ella Qurrey-Ruane – Young Essex Assembly 

• Winner – Oliver Townsend – Basildon Borough Youth Council & Young Volunteers

Community Star: 

Award Sponsor: C2C

• Highly Commended – Ian Batley – Essex Pedal Power

• Winner – Lilianjeen Ogbonna – Heritage Mix 

Inspirational Role Model:

Award Sponsor: Leonardo  

• Highly Commended – Kate Morris – Billericay Baby Basics 

• Winner – Maz Salih – Mother’s Kitchen Community Group CIC

Fundraising Champion:

Award Sponsor: Utilize  

• Highly Commended – Michael Jones – Radford Park Residents Association 

• Winner – Aston Avery – La Danse Fantastique, Gateway 97.8 & Team Avery Essex 

Long Service Award:

Award Sponsor: Leonardo  

• Highly Commended – Nandini Biswas – Basildon Parents4Parents  

• Winner – Steve Richardson – FC Redwing YFC  

Voluntary Group of the Year:

Award Sponsor: SANCTUARY  

• Highly Commended – Human Kind Café  

• Winner – Basildon Parents4Parents    

People’s Choice (No Sponsor) (Only Award Voted For By The Public):  

• Winner – John Hailes – Hope Community Supermarket  

Overall Volunteer of the Year:

Award Sponsor: Clarions  

• Lydia Law  – Young Essex Assembly

Special Thanks to All Our Sponsors. 

A heartfelt thank you goes to all of our sponsors who supported this event, making it possible to recognize the extraordinary efforts of the volunteers in Basildon.

Aston spoke to Young Volunteer Of The Year recipient Oliver Townsend from Basildon Borough Youth Council and Community Star recipient Lillianjeen Ogbonna from Heritage Mix.