Mayoral award for volunteer, musician and charity helper

The Wokingham Borough Mayor Cllr Adrian Mather has recognised a selfless member of the community following many years of fundraising and helping others.

Andy Jones is the latest recipient of the Mayor’s Honour Award, which recognises everyday heroes that make a difference to the borough. There is one more opportunity to put someone forward for an award in this municipal year, with the deadline for nominations being 1 January.

Born and bred in Wokingham, Andy was nominated for the award because of the work he does for charity. He has been a volunteer befriender at The Link Visiting Scheme for the last eight years. The Wokingham charity has brought vital, life-enhancing social connections to older people and volunteers for 25 years.

Andy said: “When I opened the letter, I thought it must be a joke. I was actually quite taken aback and the fact that somebody thinks that much of me and that I could be considered that worthy is quite humbling. It is all about helping other people because it is the right thing to do, with no thought of needing any reward. I’m one of those people who is always itching to do something – I can’t sit still.

“I work full-time as well and part-time in another job, so I fit all of that in around everything else. I feel like I’m doing something worthwhile and giving something back. I haven’t got a lot of money, but what I have got is some time, so I’d like to give it back.”

In addition to his work with The Link, Andy spends lots of time collecting food for SHARE Wokingham, which collects and redistributes food that would go to waste to those in need. Andy collects from shops, restaurants, garden centres and bakeries, often travelling further afield and involving his family to help find supplies. 

Andy, 66, has played the ukelele for many years and started the U3A Wokingham Ukelele Group 16 years ago. He has taught people of all ages and even performed at last year’s Wokingham’s Got Talent, impressing ITV news presenter Sangeeta Bhabra, who was won of the judges and said Andy was her favourite act.

He is also one of the founding members of Eight to the Fore, a local music group that raises money for The Link Visiting Scheme, raising more than £4,000 since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.

His musical talents have also led him to form Old Spice, a duo that travels to local care homes to entertain residents, especially those living with dementia.

'The power to do good'

He added: “I have always been concerned that older people have been left behind and it has always crossed my mind how they cope when they haven’t got someone to speak to. We hopefully make them laugh and look forward to our visits every week.

“We started Eight to the Fore and people said ‘surely we should be paying you for this’ and I said that was fine, but all the money we collect should be sent to The Link. 

“We went to a care home in Crowthorne recently and there was a woman scowling at us every time we started a song and then the next song was I Can’t Help Myself by The Four Tops and she stood up and danced for the whole song and her carer said she’d never seen her do anything like that before. 

“Things like that really make it worthwhile. Another person said to me that she came to see her father and that he doesn’t really know who she is any longer, but she said for 30 minutes I got my father back. Most people with dementia love music. They may have forgotten loved ones, but they know all the words and it means we have a lot of power to do good.”

Another initiative he has started for The Link involves taking the smaller sums of money people would get for scrap metal and donating it to the charity instead of keeping it, working with A1 Group Wokingham.

Cllr Mather said: “The breadth of Andy’s contributions to the borough are significant, reaching many different parts of our community and those most in need, from families who struggle to put food on the table, to those living in care homes.

“We often say that it is difficult to pick a winner from the nominations we receive, but in Andy’s case it was a very easy decision. He is the perfect example of what we aim to recognise through the Mayor’s Honour Awards and I look forward to finding out more about the work he does at my thank you event next year.”

Nominate your hero today

The awards are open to adults, children, young people and community groups who work, live, study or provide services in Wokingham Borough. Cllr Mather announced another batch of award winners earlier this year for community heroes from across the area.

Each winning individual receives a lapel badge and a certificate, while group winners receive a shield and certificate. Certificates will be awarded at the Voluntary Sector Thank You event in spring 2025. The council will announce more details on this event in due course.

Examples of nominated people can include fosterers, volunteers, carers, teachers and employees. For children and young people, the Borough Mayor would like to hear about individuals who have overcome a difficult situation or have outstanding achievements, such as in sport or the arts.

Nominations should be no longer than 100 words and should set out why the nominee should be considered for the award. The nominee's full name, contact details, such as their email address and telephone number, should also be included in the entry. To nominate an individual or group, email the mayor’s office at mayoralsupport@wokingham.gov.uk.

Both the Borough Mayor and Deputy Mayor will review nominations on a regular basis. Once their decision has been made, all recipients will be informed by email or letter.