Name Your Tony

On New Year’s Day I lie in bed and listen to the BBC news, listing all the people mentioned in the New Year’s Honours list.

It crosses my mind that the people mentioned are often household names who actually get a lot of recognition for what they do, anyway. They don’t actually need a CBE or MBE to underline the fact. I start to list in my mind people who I know do enormous work locally for little or no reward and who receive little or no public recognition. I feel sure that I am not the only person who plays these mental games so I have decided to make my own New Year’s T&L Honours list, which I shall call the T&L Tony Awards.

I have had three nominations so far; the first being Anthony Wilkinson, for his work in setting up the Wimbledon Music Festival and putting Wimbledon on the musical map with his wonderful festival in November. The festival not only includes musicians of international renowned but also local musicians, young and old.

Fiona Razvi is nominated for setting up the Wimbledon Bookfest with national names and local writers who speak in Wimbledon in the first week in October and which includes the spectacular Big Tent on the common. She has also created a wonderful local education programme which attracts nearly 1000 young people in to the Young Persons’ Writing competition.

Both of these people have significantly added to Merton’s community and created a social life that we have had needed for ages.

I feel quite sure that you will have your own idea of people who have contributed to the community. The names do not have to be on the scale of Anthony or Fiona. For example, it could be Mr Terry Haddon who sells fish in St Marks Place, who is nominated. He has done a wonderful job in bringing fresh fish to Wimbledon long before the supermarkets ever had an idea of a fresh fish counter. It could be your daughter’s Brown Owl, or the next door neighbour, who looks after her next door neighbour, who needs constant help.

So, you can use the form below to either give your nomination or vote for one of the names on the list by 10 February.

We are looking to get a working list of all those people who make a difference to our life locally. We aim to cover the areas of T&L magazine distribution including Wandworth, Putney, Wimbledon and Barnes, so don’t be shy, make it your New Year’s resolution to either to nominate somebody or, at the very least, to add your vote to the list that you will find in that section. Get your friends to vote as the more votes a person has the more chance they have of winning and it cost you nothing. All you have to do is give the name of your nomination and the reason, in not more than 50 words, why you think that person should receive the top Tony Award, by 30 January. You can also keep a check on the number of votes so far.

So, no more getting cross with the Queen’s New Year’s Honours - who is left out and who is included. This is your chance to make a difference and to recognise the unsung heroes who make life worth living in your community. Persuade all your friends to get online and vote. The nomination with the most votes wins!

Tony Kane is founder of Time & Leisure Media Group and editor of the Wimbledon, Wandsworth and Putney editions of Time & Leisure Magazine.

Nominees so far

• Anthony Wilkinson, for his work in setting up the Wimbledon Music Festival and putting Wimbledon on the musical map with his wonderful festival in November.
• Fiona Razvi, for setting up the Wimbledon Bookfest with national names and local writers who speak in Wimbledon in the first week in October and which includes the spectacular Big Tent on the common.
• Terry Haddon, for doing a wonderful job in bringing fresh fish to Wimbledon long before the supermarkets ever had an idea of a fresh fish counter.