Nick Antill-Holmes, of Oakthorpe, Swadlincote, has been recognised with a British Citizen Award, a coveted accolade that recognises outstanding individuals who work tirelessly and selflessly to make a positive impact on society.
Customer service supervisor Nick, aged 31, was nominated for the award by Pall-Ex due to his commitment to local good causes and was one of 36 individuals presented with a medal of honour at a prestigious ceremony at the Palace of Westminster.
Nick’s numerous achievements include raising more than £40,000 through various community roles, setting up and chairing his local youth group and a role as secretary on the committee of the charity, Saltersford Valley Lunch Club, which provides a weekly lunch for pensioners to prevent them from feeling isolated.
Nick, who has been a Pall-Ex team member for seven years, commented:
“I do this work because I enjoy it and it’s an honour to be recognised, but the award is really for everyone that helps out, so I accept it on behalf of everyone that I work alongside.
“I got involved in community work because I moved from working irregular hours to joining Pall-Ex. Having found myself with my evenings to fill, I was asked to attend a meeting about a new youth group and it seemed to grow from there.
“I was told by the Pall-Ex marketing team that they were going to nominate me for the award, but I just laughed it off until I received confirmation from BCA; I don’t do what I do for the recognition, but I was very excited and visiting the Palace of Westminster was a fantastic experience.”
Nick was nominated for a BCA by Holly Kerley, former Pall-Ex marketing manager, who commented:
“Nick’s dedication to the community is clear by the number of groups that he is involved in at a senior level and the amount of time that he dedicates to helping people in his local community.
“His dedication to helping vulnerable people in the local community from such a young age is impressive – he first became involved in the youth project when he was just 24-years-old. He is a worthy recipient of a British Citizen Award.”
Nick’s additional achievements include coordinating a Speedwatch scheme, with a campaign to get speed calming measures introduced following recent deaths on the main road through the village, and a role as vice-chair of the parish council, where he helps to maintain the standards of the local community.
He is also vice-chair of his local Friends of the Village group, which provides events throughout the year for pensioners and widowers. The group has hosted events including garden parties, harvest festivals, litter picking, quizzes and carol singing. It also decorates the village at Christmas and provides a Christmas meal.
He has also helped to tackle anti-social behaviour in the community by taking young people off the streets and into structured activities. By dedicating his time to opening the youth club every Friday night to combat the worst of the behaviour, complaints were reduced from eight per month to zero.
The British Citizen Awards (BCAs) were launched in January 2015, to recognise exceptional individuals who work tirelessly and selflessly to make a positive impact on society. BCAs are awarded twice annually and recognise ‘everyday’ people whose achievements may otherwise be overlooked.
Entries are now open for the next round of awards – visit www.britishcitizenawards.co.uk for more details.
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