A civic celebration was held in All Saints Church, Marlow, last weekend (March 12) to highlight unsung community heroes.
Members of Marlow community gathered alongside local organisation representatives and dignitaries for a celebration of community spirit in the town on Sunday, March 12.
One of the main events of the afternoon was the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to Mrs Liz Ferris for her long history of service to the Marlow community.
Mrs Ferris was handed the award by Deputy Lieutenant Dr Sheena Dykes on behalf of the mayor, Richard Scott, who praised her work with children and families in Marlow.
The mayor said: “Liz has given a lifetime of outstanding service, including with the toddler groups Tiddlywinks and Teeny Saints, and the church-run holiday club, Lighthouse Marlow.
“In addition to caring for children, she actively supports the elderly, making a point of visiting them, taking them to Holy Communion and supporting their wellbeing in practical and spiritual ways.”
The town's annual civic service event also featured choral performances from two groups at Sir William Borlase’s School.
The Chapel Choir sang ‘Rainfall’ by Patti Drennan while the Gospel Choir performed a rendition of the pop song ‘Just The Way You Are’ by Bruno Mars.
Liaison Officer for the Marlow Ukraine Collective, Ali Leibowitz, gave a speech about the admirable community effort, led by the volunteer collective, to rehouse Ukrainian refugees in Marlow.
A young member of the 3rd Marlow Bridge Scouts also spoke about the benefits of scouting and how the outdoor youth group is helping participants to prepare for their future lives.
Mayor Richard Scott praised the civic service as evidence of the community spirit that exists in the town and said it demonstrates how successfully the Council and town organisations can work together.
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He said: “Thank you to everyone for attending and for the work that you do, so much of it unpaid, for the organisations and charities that you represent.”
The civic celebration took place at All Saints Church in Marlow on Sunday, March 12, with a service taken by Reverend Canon Dave Bull, assisted by Father John Udris and Tony Threlfall.
Other notable attendees of the community event were Chairman of Buckinghamshire, Dev Dhillon, Mayor of High Wycombe, Arif Hussein, the Mayors of Beaconsfield and Henley, Alistair Pike and Michelle Thomas respectively, and MP, Joy Morrissey.
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