Two community champions to be honoured with medals

The Mayor’s Medal is given to people nominated by the Mayor of Gloucester, who’ve made important and significant contributions to the city.

Lorraine Campbell’s self-declared mission in life is to provide opportunities for people to meet and enjoy each other’s company. Prior to lockdown, Lorraine would arrange weekly gatherings called ‘Footlights’ for local residents over 55.

These popular get-togethers involved drinking tea, eating cake and lots of chat; and would attract over 70 people from the Tuffley area and beyond. Members were entertained with singalongs to popular songs, poems, jokes and nostalgic stories.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Lorraine has made weekly phone calls to her members and supporters called ‘Footlighters’ to check on their welfare and well-being. She also regularly takes ‘Footlights’ on the road to local nursing homes and other venues. Most recently she and husband Ross have launched Radio Footlights as a regular Podcast on YouTube as well as producing a newsletter called ‘The Encourager’.

Martyn White is a former councillor and has taken on an enormous amount of voluntary work since he stepped down many years ago. Martyn is the former Chairman of the Civic Trust, and has also been instrumental in working towards the ongoing transfer of ownership of the former Folk Museum to the Gloucester Historic Buildings Trust.

Martyn is a member and former President of the Gloucester Rotary Club and has played a huge part over several years in the success of the ‘Tree of Light’ in the run up to Christmas. Martyn has also many other roles including, Director of the Aspire Sports & Cultural Trust, Deputy Chairman of the Gloucester Civic Trust, and Director of the Llanthony Secunda Priory Trust.

Unfortunately following a serious road traffic collision back in January of this year, Cllr Colin Organ was forced to step down as Mayor of Gloucester and was unable to present the awards this year. However a small ceremony in the spring is planned to mark the occasion and for the Mayor Medals to be officially awarded to Lorraine and Martyn.

Cllr Colin Organ, city councillor for Tuffley, and Former Mayor of Gloucester, said: “I commend both Lorraine and Martyn's continuing service to our city and can think of few people who warrant such an honour as the Mayor's Medal. I want to congratulate them both on their remarkable achievement and on behalf of Gloucester City Council, thank them for their hard work, determination and commitment to our city.”