DC08-376 20 October 2008
Agoonoree Scout Camp award winner welcomes Tom Brake MP
Agoonoree Scout Camp volunteer Keith Dickens recently received a visit from Tom Brake MP, in recognition of his work with the camp. Keith was recently awarded the BT Chairman’s Outstanding Achievement Award for his “inspirational devotion” to the local community.
Keith, a business support and technical consultant with BT in Ipswich has volunteered with Agoonoree Scout Camp for 44 years and dedicates 40 hours of his time to the group each month. The £5,000 BT Chairman’s Outstanding Achievement Award will contribute towards the purchase of new camp equipment for the Scouts.
Agoonoree was founded to enable scouts with disabilities to enjoy a summer camp. The camp has which has been running for 61 years, is held at the end of July and assists the integration of disabled and able bodied Scouts both male and female to participate in camping and outdoor activities.
As chief of staff at the camp, Keith is responsible for the general maintenance of the camp’s equipment and facilities and ensuring that the programmes organised by the entertainments team run as smoothly as possible. As a member of the committee Keith is also responsible for setting up of all events and all fundraising activities.
Keith said: “When I first became involved with Agoonoree, I never believed it would become such an important part of my life. Volunteering has been extremely valuable to both my personal and professional life. The skills I have developed throughout my career within BT and my time as chief of staff at the camp have been interchangeable, each one complementing the other. To have my voluntary work recognised by my employer makes me feel valued as a person and an employee of BT and I am honoured to have been short-listed above all the other hundreds of entries from across the company.”
Tom Brake MP said: “The dedication Keith shows to the camp is simply inspirational. It is imperative that we recognise and encourage these types of activities and so I congratulate and commend Keith’s selfless commitment to Agoonoree.”
The BT Chairman’s Awards are the highest accolade of one of the most long-running and esteemed employee engagement schemes - BT Community Champions. The scheme has been running for 15 years and recognises the dedication of BT employees around the globe who are involved on a voluntary basis within their local community. More than 6,500 organisations have benefited from the scheme and BT awards £200,000 to local communities each year.
-ENDS-
Note to Editors:
There are five BT Chairman’s Awards categories:
1 Community and Culture (e.g. carnival/festival associations, bands, choirs, dance clubs, counselling services)
2 Sport (e.g. football, netball, cricket, rugby clubs and teams, riding centres)
3 Education, Development and Awareness (e.g. schools, pre-school, nurseries, PTAs, governors)
4 Youth (e.g. scouts, guides, cadets, youth clubs, after-school clubs)
5 Emerging Impact (Highlights the enthusiasm of people who are new to the voluntary sector, but already having an impact within their local communities)
* Seven runners up are also recognised across all categories
BT Community Champions
This is an award scheme in which BT employees can apply for a cash grant of up to a maximum of £500 for use within their local community group, or a full set of BT-branded football kit, for adults with disabilities or youth teams. For further information please visit www.btcommunitychampions.com. Successful applicants are eligible to apply for the annual BT Chairman’s Awards.
