Dacorum volunteer thanked for going the extra mile during lockdown

Dozens of residents across the county have been thanked by Hertfordshire Police for going the extra mile to help their neighbours with acts of kindness during lockdown.

Over 230 people were formally recognised by Chair of Herts Watch Sue Thompson last week during national Neighbourhood Watch Week (7 June to 13 June). Herts Watch is responsible for Neighbourhood Watch in Hertfordshire.

Among those recognised, was a schoolgirl from Dacorum who volunteers at St John's Ambulance and runs a badger group.

Sue said: “Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we were not able to run NHW events throughout the week, so I thought we would mark it by celebrating the achievements of NHW with the kindness theme and thanking people during Neighbourhood Watch Week."

The 'nominate a neighbour, friend or relative' project went out countywide on the Online Watch Link (OWL), which is the online messaging system for Neighbourhood Watch at www.owl.co.uk, where members receive regular updates about crime and other local issues within their neighbourhood. Members were asked to nominate someone who had gone the extra mile or shown a true act of kindness.

Special certificates have been given to a person of group within each Community Safety Partnership.

In Dacorum, Georgina Heron-Edmonds was recognised for playing the Saxophone on Thursday evenings during the Clap for Carers, volunteering at St John’s Ambulance and running a badger group.

Here are the other people recognised across Hertfordshire:

- Broxbourne - George Anderson – for playing the drums on a Thursday evening during the Clap for Carers.

- East Herts - Kay Hernaman – for keeping in touch with her U3A group via WhatsApp by doing quizzes and craft activities.

- Hertsmere - Lisa Willey – a mum of five who set up a self-help group and works for a charity.

- North Herts - Rob Scahill – for showing businesses how to survive.

- St Albans - 10-year-old Kiki Upjohn – for making friendship bracelets to raise money for the NHS.

- Stevenage Football Club for delivering sandwiches and prescriptions to the community and Lister Hospital staff. In addition they have collected and delivered food bank donations.

- Three Rivers - Naomi Bhundia – for setting up a coronavirus support group.

- Watford - Nishat Rajabali – for working tirelessly for the Watford Covid-19 group at Holywell Community Centre.

- Welwyn Hatfield - Joyce Absalom – for maintaining contact with her yoga students.

Sue added: “We were inundated with amazing acts of kindness including young people doing charitable things to help the NHS, checking on their neighbours and helping others.

"There has been such a good feeling about this project and it has been so rewarding to go out and deliver thank you cards and certificates to all the people nominated.”