As nominations open for the Pride of Reading Awards 2025,, to find a new crop of fabulous community heroes, winners from 2024 have told what the winning experience meant for them.
Pop Classics
Damian and Martina Jones of Pop Classics in Caversham, who won the Entrepreneur of the Year award sponsored by Rabbits Vehicle Hire, proudly display their award in their shop in St Martin’s Precinct.
“Our customers were delighted we’d been recognised last year,” they said.
“To be honest, we’ve never considered ourselves entrepreneurs. We’ve just been really fortunate to find ourselves in the position we’re in. We have no plans to expand – our main aim is to just make people happy. A customer walking out with a smile on their face is worth so much more than a few extra pennies.”
They said the award had raised the profile of their shop which sells vinyl records and pop memorabilia as well as hosting emerging local music talent.
“Many more people heard about us through the publicity we got after winning the award and many people came into the shop after that, which has been great. Being recognised this way also instills our customers with the confidence to buy from us.”
Of the award’s sponsor, Rabbits Vehicle Hire, they said: “They are bedrock of the community in Caversham; one of the longest running businesses in the area and staffed by lovely people.”
They added: “We think the Pride of Reading Awards are fabulous and an amazing way for people to come together and celebrate what a great town Reading is.
“People hear many negative things about our town but in truth there are so many good people in Reading doing good things. They need and deserve to be celebrated and, with the help of the awards, that happens year in year out.”
Sinead Gibson
Foster carer Sinead, who tragically lost her daughter Diva to suicide, was surprised to win The Inspiration Award for her tireless campaigning on mental health and suicide prevention.
The creator of the annual Every Little Thing Festival, which supports wellness and mental health, said: “I was really appreciative that people thought of me as inspirational, and that they took the time to nominate me. I will never forget their kindness.
“I was surprised,” she said. “Losing a child to suicide leaves deep feelings that you have failed, and living with that kind of loss leaves you feeling a shadow of your former self. To be thought of as an inspiration is quite indescribable.
“I was just recovering from an operation on my wrist, after I had fractured it, so receiving this award really came at a time I needed some positivity. So many inspirational people in that room!”
Sinead is working on this year’s festival which is held annually near suicide prevention day. Of the award she said: “It did inspire us to move the festival to a bigger venue this year, the Reading Biscuit Factory on September 7, and we are having some really exciting conversations with inspirational speakers and stall-holders.
“We are also looking forward to collaborating with Broad St Mall and The Rhoom Studios on Saturday between 11am and 3pm at their festival Broad St Beats. I hope people can join us for music, mental health awareness and community vibes.”
Sinead said award sponsors McDonald’s were very helpful and she was hoping to extend their relationship to benefit the charity’s events and the people they help.
While Sinead appreciated the experience on the day she said she found it hard too. “The one person I would want to share it with isn’t here, so it was very difficult getting up on stage knowing I couldn’t look down and see Diva’s face smiling proudly at me.”
Chance to Dance Stars
Volunteers for the charity Chance to Dance Stars, Anita Andrews, Jay Whitelock and Tanya Newing, said the publicity around their winning the Volunteers of the Year title had prompted people to come forward to offer their services.
The organisation provides a dance school for students and families with disabilities, offering accessible dance classes tailored to the needs of the students.
“We support the children by encouraging them, motivating them, supporting them, showing them moves to make and having fun,” they said.
Of the many public nominations they received they said they felt “proud, amazing, and respected that they understand that what we do helps their children. It’s been phenomenal.
“We’ve now had extra people come in that want to volunteer alongside us.I think it’s about five in the last year that have wanted to come along and help us.”
Students were performing at the Reading Children’s Market. And members are hoping to dance at Disneyland Paris in July next year.
They said winning the award, sponsored by funeral directors AB Walker, had “put us out there to say ‘actually a lot of people out there need help’. We all need help. So it’s amazing.”
Babies in Buscot Support (BIBS)
The charity Babies in Buscot Support (BIBS), won Charity of the Year last year.
The group, which has been running for 38 years, provides support to babies and their families in the special care unit at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, the Buscot Ward.
Fundraising manager Liz Josif said: “We just felt so humbled and touched to have received the number of nominations that we did.
“We read some snippets in the press articles about what people had written in their nominations and it was just really nice to read about people’s experiences on Buscott and what the charity means to them.
“Our supporters and the staff were thrilled to learn that we’d won.” she said, adding: “The award has definitely helped raise the profile of our charity.
“Just the other day I was doing a Tesco store collection and somebody came through to donate some money and said: ‘oh I remember you won Charity of the Year’.”
The group has had direct support from 2024 sponsors Roc Search who are backing their involvement in the Green Park 10k in June. Other awards sponsors, Kingdom Rooms, raised funds for them at their Christmas Grotto.
“It’s been nice, obviously, to make some new relationships as well,” said Liz.
King’s Academy Prospect
The whole team at King’s Academy Prospect in Tilehurst felt a real sense of pride at winning School of the Year, said deputy head Mary Morris.
James Birk, associate assistant headteacher and special educational needs co-ordinator (SENco) at the school, was singled out in nominations for his efforts to help children.
He said of the schools nomination: “You don’t always get that kind of positive feedback when you work in a secondary school. I think it’s just an overwhelmingly positive message to receive.
Staff had a ‘euphoric moment’ at a staff meeting when headteacher David Littlemore handed the award to Mary to show off. “It was really a coming together of the whole team,” she said. The news was shared with students at assembly.
Staff had only gone out for two celebrations in recent years. One was on receiving a positive OFSTED report – the school was deemed outstanding for leadership and management. The other was for winning the award, said James.
The staff had been described as ‘real life superheroes’ by one nominator.
For parents, staff, and pupils, ex-pupils and grandparents of pupils, Mary said: “It’s a recognition for all of them over in West Reading which is sometimes kind of forgotten, I think, a little bit out on the west.
“It is very much an award for our whole community.”
The trophy is on display in the school’s reception. “It’s the first thing you see when you walk into the school. That’s how proud of it we are.”
Winning the award, sponsored by Qwerty, has helped the school promote itself. It is on their website, on all social media and School of the Year is one of their hashtags.
“And part of our literature is to point out to parents that we received the award. Because we are doing something we think really, really special,” said Mary.
