On this day in 2021, a Rhyl charity received recognition at the St David’s Awards for its outstanding contributions during the pandemic.
The awards, which were in their eighth year at the time, aimed to honour the remarkable achievements of individuals in or from Wales and to acknowledge their great deeds across various sectors of society.
This year's ceremony took place virtually on March 24 and highlighted the extraordinary efforts of those who stood out during the particularly challenging year of 2020.
Among the winners was Denbighshire Dial-A-Ride, based in Rhyl, whose services stretched as far out as Denbigh.
The charity offered fully accessible door-to-door transport for people unable to use regular public transport.
At the ceremony, they were awarded the ‘Community Spirit’ prize in recognition of their invaluable contributions.
In March 2020, following the announcement of the first national lockdown, Denbighshire Dial-A-Ride adapted its services to meet the needs of the community by introducing a new initiative to collect prescriptions and shopping for those who required assistance.
The charity then launched the ‘Buddy’ service, enabling passengers to request a Dial-A-Ride driver to accompany them while they did their shopping—further illustrating the charity's commitment to supporting those in need.
Reflecting on the meaningful recognition, Denbighshire Dial-A-Ride Administration Assistant Rhys Fairhurst expressed his gratitude, saying: “We were very proud to have just made the final three, let alone end up winning.
"We're all overwhelmed and we really didn’t expect to win at all. We were all close to tears."
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“The work Beverley (Mather, the charity’s manager) and the team have done since the first lockdown has been incredible.
"They have done everything possible to make things work.” he added.
The St David’s Awards served as a platform to spotlight individuals and organisations that played a crucial role in supporting their communities during an unprecedented period.
This story was originally published in the Rhyl Journal on March 26, 2021.
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