Cllr Michael Lilley shares this latest news from the Annual Papa Owl Awards. Ed
The second Papa Owl Annual Dinner was held on Friday 1st March 2019 at the Three Buoys Restaurant in Ryde and the highlight of the evening was the second Papa Owl Awards.
The event was in partnership with Wight Aviation Museum and Isle of Wight Youth Trust. The evening raised over £1,600 which will be divided between these two charities.
The Annual Awards are to celebrate invention, creativity and skill development and the recognition of creative thought (thinking out of the box) and fighting against the odds of life to achieve extraordinary things on the Island.
Lilley: Received number of exceptional nominations
Independent Green councillor, Michael Lilley (Chair of the Papa Owl Awards Panel), said,
“This year we decided to use technology and through social media promote the Papa Owl Awards across the Island and ask Island residents who they thought deserved the Awards. We had a number of exceptional nominations and it was very difficult to decide.
“In the Wise Owl Awards we had four exceptional women who in their own ways had ‘Thought Out of the Box’ and these included Carol Court, founder of Ability Dogs, Abby Lines and Vicky Paris who founded Isle of Wight’s Women’s Rugby Team, the Wight Wolves, and Kay Ounsworth who runs IOW Wild Bird Rehabilitation.
“In the Little Owl Award there was a clear front runner, in Katie Barnicoat for her concern for Islanders who are at risk of cardiac arrest in her community. She independently set about raising funds for a defibrillator.”
Lilley: Extra awards
He went on to say,
“This year we also had two other special awards nominated by the Wight Aviation Museum. We awarded Henry Nobbs (pictured below) for his life time promotion of Aviation Heritage on the Isle of Wight and the young people of IW Youth Trust’s Mental Health Taskforce for fighting mental health stigma across the Island.
“All these Islanders are voluntarily and unselfishly helping others. They are the heart of the community. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for what they have done and do. Everything that is celebrated in Papa Owl books!”
The award-winners
Carol Court of Ability Dogs (Sandown – pictured below) and Katie Barnicoat both received this year’s awards for very different extraordinary achievements. Winners were presented with Papa Owl Certificates, and a commissioned Owl picture painted by local artist Tania Woolford.
Both received a cheque to further their charitable work.
Wise Owl Award for Life Time Achievement
The Wise Owl Award for Life Time Achievement went to Carol Court – The Award panel gave the award in recognition of Carol’s life-time achievement in working with and training dogs that enable those with young people with disabilities to have greater freedom and opportunities.
Carol has shown great courage, determination, imagination, vision, fortitude, creativity, resourcefulness and social entrepreneurship in founding Ability Dogs on the Isle of Wight. She has inspired many people and established an important charity that links humans with animals to improve lives. She has truly ‘Thought out of the Box’ and deserves much praise.
Carol said on receiving the award,
“I am really moved to get this award. I can talk about Ability Dogs all the time but when it comes to talking about me I find it very difficult. In 2012, I saw the need and started with two puppies and now over 26 young people have dogs. I am overjoyed to see how their lives radically change. Thank you for recognising this work.”
Carol donated her award to the work of Ability Dogs.
Highly Recommended certificates
Abby Lines and Vicky Paris of Wight Wolves and Kay Ounsworth of IOW Wild Bird Rehabilitation were awarded Highly Recommended certificates and along with IW Youth Trust’s Young People’s MH Taskforce who were award for promoting awareness of mental well-being will be given their certificates at a future event.
Little Owl Award for Perseverance and Inspiration
The Little Owl Award for Perseverance and Inspiration shown by Young Islanders went to Katie Barnicoat.
Katie lives in Bullen Village (Ryde). Katie is 12 years old and was concerned that there was not a defibrillator. The Award Panel gave the Little Owl Award in recognition of Katie’s courage, caring, action, community spirit, determination, and inspiration in identifying a need for a defibrillator in Bullen Village and then raising the £1,150 needed. Island Roads installed the defibrillator free of charge and also donated towards the cost of its purchase.
This will save lives as it will reduce loss of life to 3% due to cardiac arrests in her community. This action deserves much praise and shows with determination what individuals can achieve if they set their mind to it. Katie is now helping other young people to raise funds in their communities across the Island to have defibrillators.
Katie accepted her award with her Mum, Emma, at the Gala Dinner and asked her Award be donated to IW NHS Trust so they can pass it on to another young person raising funds for a defibrillator.
Three Buoys: Delighted to host extraordinary people
Emma and Tim Foster of award winning IW Restaurant – The Three Buoys commented:
“We were overjoyed to be the venue of the Papa Owl Annual Dinner and Awards. We take great satisfaction in supporting local charities such as Wight Aviation Museum and Isle of Wight Youth Trust.
“We are delighted to have hosted the second year award winners, Carol and Katie, as they are extraordinary people.”
Kenyon: Cross-generational talent
John Kenyon of Wight Aviation Museum stated,
“Wight Aviation Museum will be opening this summer at Sandown Airport and as a new Charity to the Island scene we thank Michael Lilley for raising funds for us and the Isle of Wight Youth Trust at the Papa Owl Annual Dinner and Awards.
“This has raised much-needed funds to start up the Museum. The Award winners are across generations and showed the talent that is in our community.”
Article edit
Clarification added that Island Roads did not charge for the installation of the defibrillator
