A STUDENT volunteer, who has given up his school holidays throughout the past five and a half years to work at a National Trust property, and a doctor who worked unstintingly to bring a new £5-million hospital to Okehampton are this year?s winners of the West Devon Mayoral Awards. Richard Mortimore, 17, and Dr Paul Nielson will be honoured for their achievements at a West Devon Borough Council ceremony next month. The awards, led by the Mayor Cllr Christine Grills, are held annually to promote the achievements of residents and groups in the borough. There were more than 20 nominations for the awards and Cllr Grills said it was a hard task to choose the winners. The first category, for a person under the age of 18, was awarded to Richard, a Year 12 student at Okehampton College. He was nominated by college principal Chris Powell who described Richard as ?an exceptional young man who demonstrates all the qualities we would wish to see in young people?. For more than five years, Richard has spent his school holidays working from 8.30am to 5pm as a volunteer with the National Trust at Castle Drogo, undertaking a range of duties including stone-walling, hedge-laying and repairing footpaths. Last summer the Chagford teenager offered to help residents with the clear up operation following the devastating floods at Boscastle. He worked tirelessly on the August Bank Holiday Sunday to help clear mud and debris from the home of a resident whose partner was in hospital suffering from cancer. Richard said he had no hesitation in signing up for a National Trust rota to join a team going down to Boscastle to help with the clear-up operation: ?They were in trouble and needed help.? Richard said he enjoyed the volunteer work he did with the National Trust, ?It?s good fun and they are all nice and friendly there,? he said. When he completes his A-levels in geography, biology and woodwork, Richard said he would like to become a National Trust warden. He said he was ?pretty flabbergasted? to learn he had been singled out for a mayor?s award but felt a sense of achievement at being given the accolade. Richard also carries out voluntary work for Chagford Cricket Club working with the children?s cricket team and serves customers at the clubhouse. Club chairman Bryce Rundle said Richard and his two younger brothers were always helping out at the club. ?Richard is an all-round good egg. The boys ask what they can do and help in whatever way they can.? Mr Powell added: ?Richard gives completely of himself and asks nothing in return. I am proud that he is a student at this College. He has an outstanding commitment to his community.? The second award, to an individual over 18, goes to Dr Nielson, a GP, who worked unstintingly to help bring the new £5-million hospital to Okehampton, which opened two years ago. Dr Nielson is also playing a leading role in bringing affordable housing to the town and is supporting plans to build housing for the elderly on the former Castle Hospital site. He also recently built an eco-friendly wooden home to demonstrate how the construction could be used for affordable housing. He was nominated by West Devon Borough Council?s Management Board. Dr Nielson said he was delighted with the award and added: ?I was very surprised. However you can never do these things alone. It?s a combination of a lot of other people helping too.? He said it was quite unexpected to be recognised in this way. ?I don?t win awards, so it was very kind of the mayor to make this award,? he said. Dr Nielson vowed not to rest on his laurels: ?There is still work to be done, The next project will be to try and secure the former Castle Hospital site for care housing, and we are still working on that.? Cllr Grills said that the award winners did West Devon proud. She said: ?Every community has a particular person who works hard for an area and we were overwhelmed with people who deserved recognition. ?It?s great to know that there are people in our borough who do such good work for the benefit of all.? Cllr Grills will be presenting Richard and Dr Nielson with their awards on April 19.
