Citizen Awards
The Honoured Citizen and Junior Good Citizen Awards have been running for many years in Diss. The awards are given to nominated individuals who go above and beyond to help the community. ​
Honoured Citizens 2024
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This year’s award winners were Mary Cotton and Mike Garnham, both members of the Diss & District Royal British Legion branch, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.
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Mary has raised thousands of pounds for their poppy appeal spending over 80 hours in Morrisons and raising £6k this year alone. Mary also volunteers on the Legion stall at the Carnival and Armed Forces Day events and contributes to Remembrance Day planning and wreath laying. She is a member of the Waveney Choir, the Women’s Institute, U3A and Royal Air Force Association and volunteers at Diss Museum.
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Mike is the Legion’s standard bearer, helps with Remembrance Day planning and looks after the wreaths by the war memorial. He works tirelessly at Quaker Wood both by himself when mowing the paths for much of the year and with young volunteer groups teaching them new skills. Mike also volunteers to maintain the boardwalk gardens.
Nominations are currently closed for 2024:
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If you would like to nominate for our 2025 awards, there will be two award categories available:
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Junior Good Citizen – for any young person between 5 and 18 years who lives in Diss or attends school in Diss
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Honoured Citizen – for anyone else.
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Nominees can include people who run a club, raise funds for charities or who are always there to help neighbours or vulnerable people in the community. Nominations must include two proposers, both of whom should be residents of Diss (for Honoured Citizen this cannot be a relative).
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How do I nominate?
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print and fill in a nomination form and send it to Diss Town Council, 11 Market Hill, Diss, IP22 4JZ Tel: 01379 643848
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or fill a nomination form in online and email it to: towncouncil@diss.gov.uk
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Awards will be presented at the Annual Town Meeting.
Recipients names will be inscribed on the Roll of Honour Board in the Council Chamber at the Corn Hall.
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View the regulations for nominating
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We've been recognising our community heroes since 1994...
Honoured Citizens
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Charles Gardener (1994), Henry Judd (1995), Arthur Wood JP (1996), David Bell & Reginald Wright (1998), Gladys Hancock (1999), Jack Lee (2000), Denis Clarke (2001), The Revd. Ben Sasada (2002), Geoffrey Tebble (2004), Francis Bradley (2005), Michael Booty (2006), Clifford Bird & Stuart Ballantyne (2007), Sue Brazier (2008), Basil Abbott (2009), Anne Dutton (2010), Doreen Collins (2011), Alan Rowe (2012), William (aka Billy) Turner (2013), no nominations received in 2014, Suzanne Kayne (2015), Pete Gillings (2016), Harold Rackham & Elizabeth Dewhurst (2017), Jamie Scales & Jack Bell (2018), Jim Bidwell (2019), Andrew Rackham (2020), Anne Beckett-Allen (2021), George Waterman & Lou Hines (2022), Gabrielle Pagan (2023), Mary Cotton & Mike Garnham (2024)
Junior Good Citizens
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Laura Turner (2002), Jonathan Chambers & Claire Rogers (2007), Alice Baillie (2008), Jordan Longshaw, Robin Lemon, Archie Hewitt, Alfie Hewitt (2009), Ryan Howell (2011), Aston Taylor (2012), Shelby Baker (2013), Thomas Kembery (2014), Ellen Nicholas (2015), Owen Leeder (2016), no nominations received in 2017, Rheuben Botwright & Kieran Murphy (2018), Zinhle Moyo (2019), Callum Doe (2020), Lily Mills (2021), Plamena Marinova (2022).
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Honorary Aldermen
Cyril Grace (2005), Glyn Walden (2012)
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Freedom of the Town
The Royal Anglian Regiment (2012)
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Honorary Freeman of the Town of Diss
Sgt Duncan Slater (2018)
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