Trio of community heroes hailed by Admiral division

13-Dec-2023 - Last updated on 13-Dec-2023 at 11:00 GMT

Community heroes: Proper Pubs BDM Mark Cleverly with (l-r) Paula Blades, Jayne Jacko and Ken Jarvis

Admiral Taverns’ community wet-led Proper Pubs division has announced a trio of winners for its Community Hero Awards.

Proper Pubs, which operates 200 pubs across England, Scotland and Wales, has chosen its victors following a nomination by fellow members of their community, with a £1,000 award that is donated to charity of their choice.

The Community Hero Awards were launched in June this year to find the unsung heroes with members of local communities to nominate fellow residents, whether they’re a customer of the pub or not, to be entered into the competition to recognise the efforts of those going the extra mile.

Hospice donations

In Nelson, Lancashire, Paula Blades was nominated by customers at the Station Hotel for caring for a fellow patron of the pub throughout his battle with cancer. Blades chose to donate her £1,000 to Pendleside Hospice, where her friend was cared for through until the end of his life.

Ken Jarvis in Merseyside was nominated by customers at the Boar’s Head in St Helens for his dedication to litter picking to keep his local community clean. Every morning, he collects rubbish, separates it and then takes it to the drop-off points to ensure the waste is recycled responsibly. On behalf of his grandson, Jarvis donated his prize to Zoe’s Place, the children’s hospice where he was cared for.

In Wigan, Jayne Jacko was nominated by customers at the New Inn for knitting more than 20 blankets for end-of-life patients and premature babies at a local hospital.

Despite already making such incredible progress, she has no plans to stop any time soon and has split her prize equally between Daffodils Dreams and Refuge.

Incredible contributions

Proper Pubs operations director Matthew Gurney said: “I would like to thank Paula, Ken and Jayne for their incredible contributions to their local communities.

“I’m blown away by their efforts and absolutely delighted we’ve been able to recognise some of the unsung heroes across the UK.

“It’s so important to support both our pubs and the local communities they serve so we’re continuously finding ways to give back to them and I feel this is a little something to show our appreciation.”

In the run up to Christmas, operators across the 200 Proper Pubs will be collecting for Christmas selection boxes to donate to local charities.