Making afternoon tea at home for seven elderly residents is not the usual thing a 16-year-old would be doing in their spare time. But Dawn Peters isn’t your average teenager.
Our Young Person of the Year, Dawn, is a dedicated and active member of 6th Sutton Coldfield Scouts, where she volunteers as a Young Leader, supporting with trips and organising games and activities. She regularly performs at local events too, playing her ukulele and keyboard or dancing.
And if that wasn’t enough, the Year 11 student at King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls welcomes a group of elderly female residents to her home every six months. Serving them afternoon tea and chatting, this is another volunteering role Dawn has with Re-engage (formerly Contact the Elderly) and a role she particularly loves.
“I know they live alone, and they don’t talk to anyone so coming to our house for afternoon tea it makes them really happy and it’s lovely to see them smiling.I wasn’t really expecting to win the award at all, I thought one of the others were bound to get it. My mum was really happy when my name was announced and is really proud of me.”
Our Community Awards celebrate many of the wonderfully selfless and dedicated voluntary community groups, like Dawn, here in Sutton Coldfield. Their tireless work, always going the extra mile makes a significant difference to many.
Every evening this week we are sharing the inspirational story behind each of the five winners from our 2019 Community Awards. A huge thank you for them for allowing us to share their stories with you.
