Charity fundraiser given gold Community Champion award

Mayor of Poole Cllr Lindsay Wilson has presented a local charity fundraiser with a Community Champion Award, recognising her outstanding efforts to help improve the lives of others.

Cllr Wilson, presented a gold award to Janet Ballam for her outstanding contribution as a fundraiser and public face of Poole Hospital Cancer Treatment Trust. Mrs Ballam has raised millions of pounds for the Trust over the last 18 years to help purchase lifesaving equipment.

The Trust’s mandate is to raise funds and to assist the hospital to buy equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of all forms of cancer. Mrs Ballam, along with other trustees, collects for the charity at supermarkets, shops and events in the local area.

Cllr Wilson said, “Mrs Ballam has been an asset to the Poole Hospital Cancer Treatment Trust and thoroughly deserves to be recognised with this award. Her work over the last 18 years has helped countless people and she should be very proud.”

Stuart Dean, chairman of the Trust, added, “Mrs Ballam will be a hard act to follow and richly deserves the gold Community Award which was presented to her by the Mayor.”

Community Champion awards are designed to recognise the small things that may go unnoticed but make a big difference to other people or the whole community. They are awarded for three levels of achievement – blue, silver and gold.

Nominations can be made by anyone who feels an individual or group should be recognised for their good work in the community.