PEOPLE who have made a difference in Basingstoke and Deane were honoured by the outgoing Mayor.

Councillor Martin Biermann gave out awards to organisations and individuals who have worked to make the borough a better place.

Cllr Biermann, who has used his year-long term as Mayor to champion environmental causes, gave his business award to Basingstoke Energy Services Co-op.

He presented the award, a glass sculpture of the town – as well a personal award of a solar thermal tube – to the co-op’s Martin Heath, Andy Molloy, and Trevor Harding. Mr Heath described the eco-conscious bike riding mayor as a green ‘inspiration’.

The individual award went to Jill Jones for services to music.“If you go to any orchestral concert in the borough where there are young people, somewhere Jill will be there as well,” said Cllr Biermann.

Retired Cranbourne School, now Cranbourne Business and Enterprise College, teacher David Watton was rewarded for “selfless support in the borough”.

Mr Watton retired 14 years ago after a 40-year teaching career. Today, he is still teaching thousands of youngsters sport, especially hockey.

“Dave shows such commitment, well beyond retirement, and keeps our young people inspired,” said Cllr Biermann.

The Mayor presented a special award to The Loddon School. It was collected by school founder Marion Cornick, principal Lynne Young, headteacher Karen Rookes and chief executive Mark Ashley-Hacker.

Cllr Biermann praised the staff of the Sherfield-on-Loddon specialist school which teaches autistic children. He described them as “a team of people that all work together with great patience and commitment to support some very vulnerable and mentally challenged children.”

Mrs Cornick, who founded the school in 1988, said: “The school has moved on from the early days when we had a dozen children to now having an international reputation.”

Cllr Biermann also gave out an award for people who do “small things in a big way”. There were four recipients who will share the award across the year, and next year, the award will transfer to Chineham Parish Council to hand out awards locally.

Cllr Biermann said: “This award is in place of individual awards. It seeks to make some recognition of the hundreds of people throughout the borough who year after year beaver away in their communities with little recognition but with outcomes which are of tremendous value given their long-term dedication.”

The award recipients were Phil Clark, who was commended for his services to art in Tadley; Iris King for her contribution to the Popley community; cycling campaigner Heather Rainbow; and Ian Aherne, who has produced a host of Mayoral shows, including the recent Basingstoke in the Mix show at The Anvil.