Gemma Thomas – Civic Pride and Charity Champion or Volunteer of the Year nomination
Gemma Thomas – Civic Pride and Charity Champion or Volunteer of the Year nomination
Gemma Thomas is dedicated to making Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire a greener, more creative and more connected place to live.
A former director of arts organisation Appetite, Gemma is now UHNM Charity’s project manager for arts where she leads on arts projects for the benefit of patients, families and staff at the Royal Stoke and Stafford County Hospitals.
Alongside her full-time job she has a number of community and voluntary roles including being the founder of Brilliant Bamboo CIC which delivers free creative, environmental and wellbeing projects.
She is chair of the advisory board for The Portland Inn Project, a trustee of Stoke Creates and sits on Meir North Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board.
Gemma has been nominated in the Civic Pride and Charity Champion or Volunteer of the Year categoroes of the Your Heroes Awards by Rebekah Whitfield-Lyne.
Rebekah said: “Gemma works tirelessly to secure grants and funding so that families, children, schools and community groups can enjoy opportunities that are completely free to attend.
“What impresses me most is the scale of what she has achieved. Gemma has transformed an ambitious idea into an organisation that brings together artists, schools, volunteers, businesses, charities and public organisations to create projects that benefit the whole community.
“From transforming a former brownfield site into an inspiring community space, to engaging more than 120 young people in one creative learning event, hosting the UK’s Bamboo Summit and creating free family activities, she is making a lasting difference to our area.
“I have attended one of Brilliant Bamboo’s family workshops and saw firsthand the welcoming atmosphere Gemma creates. Children were making clay creations, weaving colourful ribbons together and taking part in activities that encouraged creativity, confidence and teamwork. It was wonderful to see families spending quality time together in an environment where everyone felt included.
“What makes Gemma exceptional is that she achieves all of this while working full time at the hospital. She spends her own time applying for grants, organising volunteers, building partnerships and creating opportunities that simply would not exist without her dedication. She has also inspired local organisations, businesses and volunteers to contribute their own time, skills and resources, creating a community that works together for the benefit of others.
“Gemma doesn’t do any of this for recognition. She does it because she genuinely believes everyone deserves access to creative experiences, green spaces and a strong sense of community. Her passion, leadership and selflessness have already touched countless lives, and I have no doubt she will continue to inspire many more.
“For everything she has achieved, and for the difference she continues to make every single day, I believe Gemma is a truly deserving recipient of a Your Heroes Award.”
Gemma said: “I feel very humble and very privileged to have lots of people that support and champion and connect with the work that I do. That’s volunteers, people that attend and the people that give me stuff because I’m cheeky and I ask them for things.”