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Community champions honoured at Suffolk awards ceremony

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Suffolk's unsung heroes were celebrated at the annual Suffolk Community Awards, recognising outstanding contributions to local communities across the county.

The big picture: The awards, held at Stowmarket's Food Museum on Tuesday, saw 15 winners crowned across various categories, highlighting the breadth of community action in Suffolk.

  • The organising bodies, Community Action Suffolk, Suffolk County Council, and Suffolk Association of Local Councils, assessed 163 nominations in total.

  • Categories included community awards, council awards, children and young people awards, active community awards, and volunteer awards.

Winners of the 2024 Suffolk Community Awards
Winners of the 2024 Suffolk Community AwardsWarren PagePagepix

Notable winners:

  • BME Suffolk Support Group won the Colonel Probert Award for their work supporting minority communities in Ipswich.

  • Youth Zone in Ipswich received the Roddy Macleod Award for Suffolk Youth Club of the Year.

  • Lofty Heights Skills Academy claimed the Anne Dunford OBE Award for their work with young people in Ipswich not in education or employment.

  • Stacey Phillips from Homestart Suffolk was named Event Organiser of the Year.

  • Abi Abidoye received the Outstanding Contribution to Volunteering Award.

Suffolk Community Awards 2024 in photos

What they're saying: Mark Murphy MBE, who presented the awards, said: "I've hosted all sorts of events over the years, but this is one of my favourites. It's so great to see what groups and individuals do to improve their own community. They are a real inspiration."

Hannah Reid, Chief Executive of Community Action Suffolk, added: "These awards are always such a special occasion for us at CAS, not least because they shine a spotlight on the incredible work of groups and individual volunteers who really do so much for our communities behind the scenes."

The bottom line: The Suffolk Community Awards highlight the vital role volunteers and community organisations play in improving life across the county, from supporting minority groups to empowering young people and combating loneliness.

Police reveal Billy McNicholl died from head injuries and a single stab wound in an 'isolated' attack

News

A post-mortem has revealed that William "Billy" McNicholl, 63, died from head injuries and a single stab wound at his Ipswich home. Police continue to appeal for witnesses as the murder investigation enters its second week.

The details: Officers discovered McNicholl's body at his home on Hawthorn Drive shortly before 18:00 on New Years Day:

  • Suffolk Constabulary's Major Investigation Team is leading the inquiry

  • A police cordon remains in place near the junction with Marigold Avenue

  • Investigators are particularly interested in any suspicious activity between 24 December and 1 January

William "Billy" McNicholl and his dog
William "Billy" McNicholl, 63, died from head injuries and a single stab wound at his Ipswich homeAmy Clarke

What they're saying: Detective Superintendent Mike Brown of the Joint Major Investigations Team said: “We continue to appeal for anyone with any information to come forward while the murder inquiry into the death of Billy continues.

“Billy’s family are being supported by specially trained officers through what is an extremely distressing time for them.

“A large number of officers and staff have already been involved in the investigation, with searches, house-to-house and CCTV enquiries taking place. Residents should expect to see a continued increased police presence over the coming days.

“We are exploring all and any lines of enquiry and currently believe this to be an isolated incident and I would urge anyone with any information, no matter how small you think it may be, to get in touch with police.”

How to help:

  • Contact police on 101 quoting reference 37/162/25

  • Submit information via the Major Incident Public Reporting Portal at mipp.police.uk/operation/363719P01-PO1

  • Call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

  • Use Crimestoppers' online form at crimestoppers-uk.org

The bottom line: While police believe this is an isolated incident, they are conducting extensive searches, house-to-house inquiries and CCTV analysis. Residents should expect to see an increased police presence in the area over the coming days.

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