Modest mum Diane Rodriguez has gone from sharing a cup of coffee with friends to having tea and cake with the Lord Mayor.
Little did the unassuming 53-year-old think that starting an informal coffee morning in Mowmacre would lead to her being praised at a formal occasion at Leicester Town Hall.
Diane, of Thurcaston Road, Mowmacre, was yesterday made an honoured citizen at a ceremony in the parlour of the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Coun Colin Hall.
"This is a wonderful award to receive and I feel very privileged to be here at such a lovely place," said Diane, a registered childminder.
"I did not set about doing what I do to get recognised like this, but it is still nice. To be honest, I am here for the rest of the team as much as for myself. I feel I am accepting this award on behalf of all the people who help out and give their precious time freely and without wanting anything back."
The mother-of-five received a framed certificate from Coun Hall.
Diane was nominated for the prestigious award by councillor Annette Byrne in recognition of her work, which has ranged from running a coffee morning to providing Christmas trees for elderly people and festive parties for children.
She began the coffee mornings three years ago with pals Abby Ryles and Samantha Craig at the Tudor Centre in Mowmacre.
She said: "We were running the Mowmacre Community Project from the local primary school and wanted to reach out to people.
"We could not ask people into the school so we went round to the Tudor Centre and set up a coffee morning there."
Ward councillor Annette Byrne said Diane was an inspiration to everyone on her estate.
Coun Byrne said: "Diane is a wonderful person. She is so giving and caring I wish there were more like her. She is living proof of what can be achieved by normal people prepared to try to bring their community together."
Coun Hall said: "Diane is exactly the kind of person who these awards are designed to recognise. "She shows just how selfless and inspirational the people of this city can be."
Diane said she would be taking her award along to her regular Wednesday coffee morning.
She added: "If anyone wants to see my award they should pop along for a cuppa and a chat between 9am to 11am next Wednesday at the Tudor Centre."
 |  |
al-Qaida Chelsea Panto season Communities Regulators US economic growth and recession
No comments:
Post a Comment