A ‘JACK OF ALL TRADES’ volunteer whose tireless work keeps his church and community facilities running in East London has won a prestigious award.
Roger Pettit has just been named one of Methodist Insurance’s eleven regional winners in its national Church Volunteer Awards, for his regular unpaid work on everything from massive building projects to fixing a squeaky door.He beat hundreds of other nominees, winning a £1,000 prize for his church, and he now goes forward to a national final where he stands to win even more
Roger, whose family have been members of Winchester Road Methodist Church in Walthamstow for five generations, has spent five decades serving the church and the local community – most notably in the construction of the impressive new hub which links the church to the halls used by the local community for everything from baby massage, to karate training, to a local club for the blind.
Winchester Road Junior Mission for All secretary Maureen Duncan takes up the story.
“As property steward, Roger worked with architects, local councillors, church members, and sponsors,’ she said. ‘He made an enormous personal contribution to raising the £650,000 needed, such as taking part in a sponsored swim, trawling the streets to collect jumble, and serving endless cups of tea at coffee mornings.
“It was Roger who liaised with the workmen, sourced the furniture and fittings, kept everyone updated, and wielded a paintbrush when necessary.
“He’s also our unofficial caretaker, so if he isn’t on the end of the phone he’s probably at the church, using a screwdriver, a can of WD40, or a jet spray. He’s one of those unsung heroes who works tirelessly behind the scenes – the impact of his years of service in the church and community cannot be quantified but it is truly awesome.”
Roger himself said he was ‘somewhat surprised and slightly embarrassed’ to have been nominated for the award.
“I don’t consider my contribution to be anything out of the ordinary,” he said. “Work needs doing, so I do it. But I’m not the only one by any means. We’re all serving God and the community as best we can.”
Michael Angell, CEO of Methodist Insurance, said, “At a time when society can seem increasingly inward-looking, and when so many people feel lonely and isolated, the voluntary efforts of Methodists in their churches and wider communities is humbling and inspiring, and we are delighted to be able to celebrate their wonderful efforts.
“The coronavirus outbreak means that these are very challenging times for us all, and many have had to put their activities temporarily on hold. But one thing is for sure: as soon as the restrictions are relaxed these volunteers will be back out again, helping the most vulnerable and needy in society.”
The Methodist Insurance Church Volunteer Awards competition was launched in June last year, and saw Methodist churches throughout the country invited to nominate volunteers for their exemplary work in their churches and local communities.
More than 200 people were nominated, and a panel of judges, featuring regional representatives, selected eleven winners from across the UK.
Members of the public are able to vote for their favourite at the Methodist Insurance website with the results from this vote being combined with the scores from the Methodist Insurance national judging panel to determine the National Winner.
Voting is open until 15 July 2020 with National Winner being revealed in October where they will receive an additional £2,000 donation for their church.
