Meritorious awards have been presented at Christchurch Council to two individuals and a group.
One individual award went to Peter Allam, currently the Chief Executive of the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy. He is the only Christchurch-born person to achieve an Olympic medal, winning one in 1984 sailing a dinghy which he and Jo Richards built in a boatyard in Jumpers Avenue.
The second individual award was presented to Pete Dadds a local fisherman for 25 years and a volunteer with the Mudeford RNLI for 23 years. In November 2014, in his fishing boat, he went to the aid of a lone sailor who had been thrown off his yacht. Pete rammed his fishing boat into the yacht to prevent the sailor being run over by his own boat. He then held the sailor afloat until the Mudeford lifeboat arrived. Over the years he has guided many vessels safely into the harbour.
The group award went to the members and helpers of Walkford Youth Club. The club was set up in October 2010 at the instigation of some parents, the council, and the local police to help give the youngsters of the area something to do in their spare time as there are no play facilities in the area for children of any age. With more than 400 children on the register, they now run two sessions a week. They have successfully fundraised to provide extra facilities for the young members.
