Showing off

In the days when I was producing audio visual programmes, I was lucky enough to win a number of awards. I say "I" merely because it was me they were given to. Of course, the truth is that each programme required a close knit team of dedicated and clever creative and technical specialists to make them. I was just one team member helping to pull the resources and personnel together to make the communication work.
Last night was no different.
I was very honoured - and grateful to receive one of the five 2008 Bank of America Neighbourhood Excellence Initiative "Local Hero" awards.
But really the award was for the work of the charity Contact the Elderly, which I urge more people to join.
It is based on a brilliantly simple yet effective idea. Once a month on a Sunday, drivers all over the country collect  some of the most frail and isolated older people in their local town and take them for tea, conversation and laughter at a volunteer host's house. With twelve different hosts during the year, it provides a varied and interesting experience for everyone and makes an enormous difference to the guests, many of whom never leave their homes between times.
The Bank of America initiative is also brilliantly simple and effective – they reward people and organisations doing socially responsible work.
The other four heroes last night work with young people, youth groups, disabled people and those with learning disabilities. The bank also rewarded Trees for Cities and the School for Social Entrepreneurs as 'Neighbourhood Builders'. These awards 'help strengthen the capacity and infrastructure of the groups and promote the professional development of their leaders, as well as providing grant funding and leadership training'.
And I'm sure that both Bank and recipients would agree with me, that for each of those who won last night, there is a raft of people supporting them who deserve the award every bit as much.

Well done to Bank of America - and of course thanks in spade-fuls.

Image: graphics.boston.com