by Ray Duffill
Hedon’s 675th mayor, Councillor David Thompson, has finished his term of office on a positive note by awarding two prestigious Hedon Shields to people who have made a difference to their local community.
Additionally, the mayor presented his chosen good cause with charity monies raised during the year.
Katy Smith was awarded a Hedon Shield for her work in setting up Ruben’s Voice. Katy’s son, Ruben Ferrol, tragically took his own life in April 2021 aged just 18.
In response, Katy organised a concert in Hedon in August 2021 which not just celebrated Ruben’s life but served to raise awareness of teenage suicide and encouraged other young people to learn from what happened to Ruben. A second concert was organised in 2022 and a third is planned for August 19 this year.
The aim is to try to prevent suicide by raising awareness of the problems that can affect mental health and showing how much help is available for those struggling, particularly young people.
Hedon Rangers senior team coach Benji Green also collected a shield in recognition of his and the team’s success in reaching the finals of the East Riding Senior Cup Final of the Humber Premier League in 2023 and winning the cup final in 2022.
The team have performed well during the mayor’s term of office and really developed their fan base with some 300 supporters attending to watch the recent final at North Ferriby and creating a tremendous atmosphere.
Hedon Rangers not only cater for seniors but have another 24 predominantly youth teams catering for almost every age group.
At a presentation evening to award the shields last Thursday, Mayor Thompson was also delighted to award the proceeds of his fundraising to Emmaus Hull and East Riding, a charity that is focused on supporting people affected by homelessness.
It offers supported accommodation services, a rough sleeper outreach service and a network of social enterprises including furniture collection and sales and charity shops.
Charity community leader Sally Acton takes the lead on the charity’s local accommodation services and attended the presentation evening to accept a cheque for £781.41 from the mayor’s fundraising.
