There were celebrations in Southway this week as Southway Community Group won a top honour at the first-ever Plymouth Community Awards.
The group, based at Southway Youth and Community Centre on Hendwell Close, took home the Best Community Project Award, sponsored by Plymouth Community Homes. The award recognises community projects making a real, measurable difference to people’s lives in Plymouth.
Southway Community Group runs a popular community café, play care services, youth support sessions, social groups and events that bring residents of all ages together. Judges praised the team for fostering community spirit and creating a welcoming space that supports local families.
Celebrating Community Heroes
The awards night also highlighted inspiring individuals from across the city including Tracey Stacey, who won the Fundraiser Award after raising more than £500,000 over 14 years for the Keep Me Close charity.
Keep Me Close provides a “home from home” for families whose babies are receiving Neonatal Intensive Care at Derriford Hospital. The facility offers free accommodation, en-suite rooms, kitchen and laundry access, removing a huge financial and emotional burden at incredibly difficult times.
Since opening, the centre has supported dozens of families for hundreds of nights, helping parents stay close to their newborns when it matters most.
Other Plymouth Community Award Winners
- Courage Award: Isatta Kallon, co-founder of Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support
- Lifetime Achievement: Sally Hayman for 30 years supporting older people
- Outstanding Contribution: Ian Bullen of the Veterans and Families Hub
- Sportsperson Award: Jake Bristowe, brain tumour survivor and football coach
- Volunteer of the Year: Hilary Knight, who has led the Plymouth Soup Run for 23 years
- Health Service Hero: Liz Ridgway, specialist nurse for pioneering sarcoma prehabilitation
- Carer of the Year: Sue Caunter of Beyond Limits
- Education Hero: Danny Macmillan, martial arts mentor
- Business in the Community: Ali Carnegie, Total Energy Solutions
- Employee of the Year: Gemma Newton, care home leader
- Group awards also went to:
- SJ Performing Arts – Arts & Culture Award
- Plymouth Scrapstore – Environmentalist Award
- The Village Hub, Stoke – Team Award
Honouring Plymouth’s Community Spirit
The YMCA Plymouth and Discovery College organised the awards, with more than 2,000 nominations across 14 categories. The event was sponsored by Doorcare South West and held at the Crowne Plaza.
YMCA chief executive Tom Lavis said:
“Communities thrive when people step up for one another. We see it every day – in volunteers giving their time, in organisations supporting those in need, in neighbours helping neighbours.
The Plymouth Community Awards celebrate those efforts, say thank you, and inspire others to get involved.”
He also extended YMCA’s ‘heartfelt thanks’ to the event sponsors, whose support, he said, ‘strengthens the fabric of Plymouth.’
