Selfless volunteers win Whittlesey Citizen and Young Citizen of the Year awards

The awards were handed out by Mayor and Mayoress of Whittlesey, Councillor David Mason and Ann Mason.

Citizen of the Year

Phil Knighton has for many years held the office of treasurer of the Whittlesey Christmas Lights Committee and two years ago took on a similar position with Whittlesey Street Pride.

He is a keen member of the Whittlesey Lions, specialising in recycling spectacles, raising funds at Lions events and taking on the responsibility for stocking up outlets with “Message in a Bottle” information, a very important Lions campaign.

Phil is also part of the Westwood Musical Society and his singling talents have extended to the Whittlesey Singers, a voluntary group of social singers who regularly entertain at care homes and at town events.

He is also Father Christmas at Dobbies in Peterborough, a weekly volunteer at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall, a reader and sides person at St Andrews’ Church in Whittlesey, as well as a member of the church’s Thursday Club which caters monthly for those who may be lonely.

Moreover, he volunteers for “Holiday at Home” providing entertainment, trips and company to the lonely.

Phil is now a member of a Whittlesey U3A group and has taken on a role of quizmaster at the Annual Education Quiz organised by Whittlesey Rotary Club.

He was described as a “man of great modesty and humility who has been a pleasure to know for over 40 years” by Cllr Mason.

Young Citizen of the Year

Ellie Nicholls is a keen netball player and for the past four years has been a member of Whittlesey Warriors.

Her love of netball developed at Park Lane Primary School and, after leaving to attend Sir Harry Smith Community College, took it upon herself to return to her old school to help coach youngsters at their after-school club on Thursdays and Fridays.

She has volunteered in this manner for the past four years.

Additionally, Ellie assists the Activity Club that Park Lane school runs for three days a week in the school holidays, giving up a lot of her own time in the process.

In 2018, she won a Young Achievers Award through Cambridgeshire County Netball Association and followed this up with an Eastern Region Young Volunteers Award, receiving her prize at a prestigious ceremony in Liverpool.

Moreover, for the past two years Ellie has been teaching youngsters to swim through the Whittlesey Manor Dolphins swimming club.