WEST Devon volunteers are among 34 people to be honoured this week, as they receive medals in recognition of their service to the community. The Year of the Volunteer medals, produced by the Royal Mint, were awarded to a wide variety of worthy recipients at a special ceremony in Exeter yesterday (Wednesday). The medals were presented by the Lord Lieutenant of Devon, Eric Dancer CBE. Elizabeth Salter, Year of the Volunteer campaign manager, said: ?The Year of the Volunteer medal is just a small way to thank the incredible hard work of so many committed volunteers from Devon who give up their time to help others. ?I hope that the medal winners inspire anyone who hasn?t already enjoyed the benefits of volunteering to give it a go and make a difference in their local community.? West Devon award winners include Tim Sutton-Woodhouse from Lifton, who is a volunteer with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, a charity that trains dogs to alert deaf people to specific sounds. Tim is a puppy ?socialiser? and helps prepare abandoned puppies to live successfully with their new owners. So far Tim has prepared ten puppies to live with deaf people and is also a volunteer speaker on behalf of the charity. Colin Harris of Lewdown, another medal winner, has devoted hundreds of hours to improving the safety of local neighbourhoods through his work with the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme. He has set up 40 new schemes in West Devon, serves on the Crimestoppers board and the West Devon Community Safety Partnership Committee. And West Devon resident John Hawkins was also due to be recognised for his tireless work on behalf of the Winsford Trust ? the organisation which turned a redundant hospital into a thriving centre for the community. Des Shadrick, chairman of Devon County Council, welcomed the award winners to the special ceremony. Cllr Shadrick said: ?Volunteers such as this are the lifeblood of Devon communities. We are delighted to welcome them to County Hall for what will undoubtedly be an inspiring evening.?
