Durham woman wins sustainability award in national competition

Margaret Thomas, a resident at The Manor House Barnard Castle, has been awarded the sustainability title for her dedication to promoting eco-friendly practices and sustainability within her community at Anchor.

The annual awards run by Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for people in later life, recognises the achievements of residents who have made a real difference to their communities. A Resident Judging Panel chose winners from over 160 nominations across six categories.

The winners were announced by Anchor’s Chief Executive, Sarah Jones, at Anchor’s Wellbeing Fayre, where they received certificates to acknowledge their win, as well as £100 in gift vouchers.

Margaret has become a leading advocate for recycling and sustainability at The Manor House Barnard Castle and is always looking for ways to reduce waste and reuse materials creatively. She encourages both residents and colleagues to embrace sustainable living through eco-friendly crafts and activities, often repurposing items that would otherwise be thrown away.

In addition to her inventive reuse projects, Margaret ensures that all paper and recyclable materials, such as used bingo tickets and paper plates, are collected and recycled rather than discarded. She has also played a key role in maintaining the POTGANG vegetable and herb garden, which provides fresh produce for the kitchen.

The judges particularly liked the way Margaret “promoted and encouraged a sustainable lifestyle within her estate,” implementing it “into all areas and activities.”

Sarah Jones, Chief Executive of Anchor, says: “At Anchor, we are proud to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our residents through our Loving Later Life Awards. So many people who live with Anchor contribute to their communities and make a meaningful difference to others. I’m really pleased our awards recognise and celebrate that fact. Huge congratulations to everyone who won and was nominated.”