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LOCAL HEROES WIN NATIONWIDE AWARDS
2 individuals
and 2 groups from the Granada region have reached the national final
of this year's Nationwide Awards for Voluntary Endeavour. The 2
individual winners are James Taylor and Pauline Pendleton and
winners of the group awards were Eden Fitton Hill Young Volunteers
and RISE. The winners were selected as a result of their outstanding
voluntary work and contribution to their
local communities.
All 4 winners will go forward to an awards ceremony to be held at
Lord's Cricket Ground in London on Tuesday 13 November. They will
each be presented with a trophy, £500 for the cause of their choice,
and £250 in gifts. They could go on to become 1 of 4 national
winners who will each take away prizes totalling £3,000 to be
announced at the Lord's event. The awards will be presented by
Nationwide, in association with the Heritage Lottery Fund and
Business in the Community.
Now in their 10th year, these awards recognise a community's "local
heroes" whose voluntary work or community activity has made a
real difference to people's lives. Some 20 million volunteers give
up their free time per year, a contribution which is estimated to be
worth more than £24.5bn.
Andrew Litchfield, Nationwide's head of community & environmental
affairs, said:- "We are delighted to recognise and reward
people who voluntarily give up their time and energy to support
others and who are true local heroes. All the winners have shown
outstanding dedication to their local communities, are an
inspiration to others, showing what can be achieved if you feel
passionately about a cause. Without this dedication many projects,
which provide help and care for a wide spectrum of society, would
find it difficult to survive. I hope these awards not only act as
encouragement for people who are already active volunteers but also
inspire others to join in and a make a difference."
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THE
RISE OF GENERATION LIBERATI AND THE MID-LIFE RELEASE
EXCLUSIVE
findings from The Vauxhall Antara Report, detailing the emergence of
a new generation with a uniquely confident, energetic and
independent attitude to life. Dubbed Generation Liberati they are
aged between 45 and 55 years old and are typically choosing to shun
suburbia and instead explore the limits of the cities they have
flocked back to.
The Vauxhall Antara Report was commissioned to support the launch of
the Vauxhall Antara SUV and concludes that Generation Liberati is no
longer encountering a mid-life crisis but is in fact enjoying a
mid-life release:
Vauxhall Antara’s Simon Ewatt said;- “In a role reversal from
the 1970’s sitcom The Good Life the city is increasingly important
for this new Generation Liberati. Liberati do their socialising in
urban areas, get their cultural fix in the city and explore the city
limits.”
Generation Liberati see growing older as an opportunity to start
again and are willing to try new experiences, 82% describe
themselves as open-minded.
Interestingly 47% of female Liberati consider themselves
independent, compared with 43% of males.
Driving is the key factor that allows Generation Liberati their
feeling of independence - 20% of the respondents cited their car as
essential to their way of life.
Generation Liberati are adventurous souls with 46% enjoying
off-the-beaten-path holidays. Many are embracing adventure to avoid
feeling they are settling down as they grow older. Overall, 26% of
Liberati feel growing older is making them more adventurous, led by
34% of those in London and Scotland, followed by 31% of East
Midlanders.
City breaks are also key to Liberati, whether it’s the cultural
trips favoured by 43% or the quick weekend city breaks chosen by 39%
of this group.
Liberati have more time to explore the world around them, and are
using their cars in this pursuit. Exploring by car, whether city or
countryside, is important to those living in Yorkshire, Scotland,
Northern Ireland, the East Midlands and East Anglia. The keenest
explorers among Liberati can be found in Wales (52%), London (51%),
Scotland (49%) and Yorkshire and Humberside (46%).
Liberati are also fuelling the resurgence in British holidays, with
over 50% choosing to stay in the UK.
The Vauxhall Antara Report was compiled by trend analysts at The
Future Laboratory on behalf of Vauxhall. They researched emerging
trends in the UK, interviewing potential Antara drivers and Liberati
plus key opinion formers, their findings describe an adventurous
generation, unburdened by debt and enjoying the trappings of their
success. |
