Diss Town Council announces the winners of its Citizen Awards 2021
30 March 2021
Council Services
The winners of this year’s Honoured Citizen and Junior Good Citizen awards are Anne Beckett-Allen and Lily Mills.
Meet our Honoured Citizen 2021
Anne Beckett-Allen receives the Honoured Citizen Award for her work promoting mental health first aid in the workplace and for everything she continues to do to support our town’s bereaved residents, particularly children.
Anne has led on the delivery of mental health first aid courses and training to employees all over the local area. A founding funeral director, and one of the most qualified funeral directors in the country, Anne runs bereavement groups, walks and church services for residents free of charge. She is also a longstanding trustee of local children’s bereavement charity, Nelson’s Journey.
Roella Trudgill, who nominated Anne, said: “Anne works tirelessly… and is an inspiration to everyone to try and keep positive.”
Finding out she had won was a very moving moment for Anne.
“When I heard the news, I was really emotional, because it was just four years ago that I was watching my late father Harold Rackham receive the exact same award,” said Anne. “And I know that he would have been so proud of me. Through my work at Rosedale, we have won many regional and national awards. But this one, being closer to home, is somehow even more special.
“Raising awareness of issues around bereavement and mental health is something I’m really passionate about and the fact that I’ve been nominated for my work around mental health in the Diss community is something I will always treasure. It’s only fair to thank the team at Park Radio, because they have given me a platform to talk about mental health throughout the pandemic and allowed me to cover some really heavy topics such as eating disorders, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. It does take courage to speak out on such topics, but I hope that by sharing my own personal experiences and coping strategies, it takes away some of the stigma around mental health and makes it easier for others to start difficult conversations or reach out for support.”
Meet our Junior Good Citizen 2021
Lily Mills, a pupil at Diss High School, is the recipient of the Junior Good Citizen Award. As well as being a Youth Councillor for Diss Youth Council, Lily volunteers for Scole Nature Trails Trust and Gissing Children’s Centre. She’s also a rookie lifeguard and qualified first aider.
Chris Brook, a trustee at Scole Nature Trails Trust and one of the people who nominated her, said:
“Lily is not afraid of hard work. It was particularly impressive to know that, prior to the restrictions last year, she would attend early morning lifeguard training sessions before rushing home and then turning out to work for us.”
Finding out about her accolade, Lily said: ‘I feel ecstatic. It is an absolute honour to have received this award!’
The awards will be presented to Anne and Lily at the Annual Town Meeting (ATM). Traditionally held in the spring, this year’s ATM will take place in the autumn when restrictions around public gatherings will have been lifted.
There were many worthy nominees in both categories this year. And Diss Town Council would like to thank the winners, as well as everyone who made a nomination and all those who continue to go above and beyond for our community.
