FORMER nurse Ann Couldrick, from Didcot, was among 14 of the county’s community heroes to receive awards from the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire on Tuesday.

This year’s awards focused on those who helped young people in Oxfordshire or helped make their community safer.

Ms Couldrick, 73, was recognised for her work supporting bereaved children in Oxfordshire.

She was one of the founders of SeeSaw, and still trains volunteers and support staff.

She said: “This is for SeeSaw — to give them a boost and encourage people to raise as much money as we can to keep going.”

Another recipient was 20-year-old police community support officer Laura Schmid, of Abingdon, who was nominated by parish councillor and chairman of Marcham Neighbourhood Action Group, Malcolm Denton, for her work with children and elderly people in the community.

He told the awards panel that Ms Schmid went above and beyond the call of duty to serve villagers, including attending events in her own time.

Ms Schmid said: “People are quick to criticise, so it’s lovely to get the award. It is really good for PCSOs, to show how much we are appreciated in the area.”

The community heroes also included Ray Ball, of South Abingdon Youth Club, for setting up the club and his work with young people; 17-year-old Sam Bowden, the voluntary co-ordinator of the Transforming Henley for Young People project; Margaret Monk for her work with the Street Pastors project at Wantage and Grove; and the minister of Didcot Baptist church, Rev Keith Nichols, for his work with young people, including the Didcot Train project and the Families against Drugs group.

Richard Dick, the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, said: “A key focus of my year in office as High Sheriff has been youth- related charities and I wanted to honour the fantastic work that goes on in our county.

“It was wonderful to read the nominations and hear the stories of these unsung citizens and it was good to give them a moment in the spotlight in recognition of their exceptional work.”

A total of 56 people were nominated, but only 14 got awards.

The other award winners were Adrian Coomber for his youth and community work in Carterton; Jon Cox for his work with Banbury Sea Cadets; Alex Feuchtwanger, who set up the Definition of Faith youth group at Thame and for his work with the Neighbourhood Action Group; Marsha Jackson for her work with young people in Blackbird Leys, Oxford; Chipping Norton School teacher Joanne Phillips for work strengthening the local community and providing opportunities for young people; Alidja Templer for her work with the Leys Youth project and Children In Care Council in Oxford; 64-year-old retired civil servant Maggie James, of Bicester, who has worked with local Brownie and Guide groups since 1965, and been a Marie Curie Cancer Care volunteer travelling the country for 13 years; and 16-year-old Luke Drummond, of Bladon, who received his second award in three months — a St John Ambulance volunteer, he was named Cadet of the Year in January.

Nigel Strick, head of community safety and trading standards for Oxfordshire County Council, said: “I had the privilege to read the nomination forms for this year’s awards and they made humbling reading. It is a real honour to be involved in these awards and hear the stories of the exceptional individuals that work, often voluntarily, to make our county a safer, happier place to live.”