GE Aviation joins up with Pride
Engineering firm GE Aviation has come on board to sponsor a new category in this year’s Pride of Gloucestershire Community Awards.
The Citizen and our sister title, the Gloucestershire Echo, have launched the hugely successful awards for the fourth year to honour the county’s unsung heroes.
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GE Aviation's Mike Grunza
There are seven categories to choose from – Local Hero, Brave Heart Hero, Community Project, Caring Hero, Environmental Hero, Public Sector Hero, and, for the first time, Volunteer Hero.
US-owned aerospace giant GE Aviation, based at Bishop’s Cleeve, is looking for nominations for the Volunteer Hero award in a bid to pay tribute to those who give up their time for others.
Mike Grunza, managing director at GE Aviation, said: “We want to hear from people who give their time freely to others.
“It could be a young person who gives up their time to teach the older generation about computers or a retired teacher who helps young people with numeracy.
“Other options could be someone who volunteers in a charity shop or with a local community group.
“There are so many good people throughout our communities in Gloucestershire who regularly give their time and skills as volunteers to help others and deserve recognition for what they do.”
A glitzy award ceremony will take place at Gloucester’s Kingsholm Rugby club, on June 25 when 2010’s winners will be announced.
Citizen editor Ian Mean said: “We’re hoping for a wide range of entries in the Volunteer Hero category. People in Gloucestershire have a great record for volunteering and giving up their spare time for others.
“We’re particularly pleased that major local employer GE Aviation has become involved with the Pride of Gloucestershire awards this year.
“It plays a big part in the local community and we’re expecting this to become an important new category.”
The deadline for nominations is March 19. Simply complete a nomination form which will appear in the paper every day and send to Lynn Elson, 2 Batsford, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, GL56 9QB.
Comments
by Christine Syer, gloucester
Thursday, February 04 2010, 10:49AM
“My daughter has nominated her father for this award and I would like to add some comments if I may.
Steve not only organises the Cotswolds Bike Ride which raises in excess of £32,000 a year and has raised £550,000 in 19 years, he is also the Chairman of the local branch of the British Heart Foundation. The Cheltenham Branch has now raised in excess of £1.25 million pounds and has been in excistence since 1970, Steve join in 1985 a year after his Heart Transplant, so help raise money for research into heart disease.
He also assists the local school with their computor group once a week and helps to update their webpage.
He also supports the James Hopkins Trust a local chairty for terminally ill children with respite care. At christmas he spent three days being an elf at Blooms nursery at Hardwick with fathe christmas and helped raise £5,500.
He also attends a core group at Harefield Hospital as a patient representative. He was also chairman of the Harefield Transplant club until 3 years ago having been on the committee for 22 years.”