Comments about our service

Just spoke to dad and asked him if he was ok when you left yesterday and he said 'well i got a bit emotional' and i asked him why and he said 'because the chap (you) was so nice to me' so there you go thanks again.

Just to say thank you so much for your speedy visit to Lesley in Oulton Broad. I was with her this afternoon and she was so thrilled with the wonderful job done for her, it has lifted her spirits so much. Thank you again

I was very impressed by everything you have achieved so far, and all the possibilities that you can envision for the future. Thank you very much for giving me so much of your precious time; it was also great to meet Paul and Justin, and your garden’s owner whose name I have forgotten. Best wishes Pam Hinds Community Champions Fund Account Manager COVER - Community & Voluntary Forum: Eastern Region

An excellent days gardening. Thank You

Thank you for giving my garden back…

The service was excellent, we’re so thrilled at the work done on our hedge, we can now see out of our front window again.

Thanks very much for all you hard work and help in putting the filming together. I heard it all went very well indeed. All the very best to you and the guys you are encouraging... I was certainly inspired myself. Best wishes, Carolyn Bodley BBC breakfast

Thank you for today and your good work. Kind regards Jean P

Hi Trevor and team
Thanks for your reply - just seen you and members of your team on local television - you're certainly doing a great job.

Hi Trevor please rest assured dad rang me to say how happy he was and full of praise with your work and is looking forward to any future work you can do for him was really pleased and i need to thank you very much too Looking forward to hearing from you all the best val

Mr Lynn was very professional, and the whole team who came were very polite and accommodating, an excellent job.

These young men have visited me twice and in that time they have become my friends there behavior is so polite and friendly and they work so hard and leave my garden looking lovely. I can’t thank them enough.

Just wanted to say thank you for a really enjoyable day. Though my right arm is killing me. Those tools are SO heavy! I am really enthused, and would love to join again next Wed. (new volunteer)

I hope you are well. We are going to be adding a case study on your work with Mow and Grow onto our website with a couple of other Local Heroes winners. I have added the copy to this email for you to have a look over. I have included a link to your website to encourage people to find out more. If you would like, once the case study is live, I can send you the link over which you could add to your website. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you. Kind regards Gemma Wantling | Corporate Responsibility J Sainsbury plc

The work completed lifted my spirit and has helped take a worry / anxiety from me. Bless you all. Lesley x

Thank you for a very successful start to the scheme! - and thank you to everyone who carried out the work today. Kind regards Katherine Quint Norwich city council

I cannot express the pleasure it has given me having my garden sorted, and with your assistance it means I can now get outside a lot which was difficult due to my disabilities.

Nomination for Trevor Lynn at Social Enterprise Mentor of the Year award 2007

This entry should win because: Like a true social entrepreneur Trevor gives all his time and advise freely to others with no thought of reward. He believes his projects are only as good as the volunteers, so he invests his time and effort in those people. He sees them as the future. His success is considerable, number of qualifications gained, over 80, people helped gain employment 4, professional and voluntary groups helped over 70, people given inspirational lectures too over 300, money raised over £100000. His own social enterprise has also achieved sustainable business status and all this has been achieved whilst he holds down a separate full time job. Most importantly Trevor is making a positive difference in his community and others across the UK. He has been featured in national press, regional radio and television, as well as local media. His website for Mow & Grow regularly features in the top 20 most visited community websites despite no advertising.

Winning this award will go some way to reward Trevor for his efforts, but more importantly it will bring exposure to his achievements which will lead to others being inspired to make a difference in there community. Trevor is the perfect example of a resourceful, flexible go getting, inspirational, problem solving leadership figure. The people who Trevor mentors have had there lives transformed for the better, and his groundbreaking work has made a huge difference on communities. Mow & Grow's slogan (which he thought up) of "cutting grass, cultivating futures" is as relevant now as is was when he begun his journey in social enterprise just over a year ago. In such a short space of time Trevor has not only proved to himself that he has what it takes, he has proved to others what a great mentor he has become.

Pride of East Award - speech by David Marlow

Thank you Clare. It’s my pleasure to now announce the individual Pride of the Region award.
Well this is something of a departure in that the judges selected the winner in this category, despite the fact that they had not been personally nominated for any of our awards tonight!
Of course projects led by this individual have been exemplars in both this years and previous Celebrate Awards. It was unanimously felt by the judges that this unsung hero had continuously shown outstanding and pioneering efforts to use European funding in an exemplary and hugely beneficial way – and as such totally embodies the spirit that is Celebrate.
Since gaining initial funding from European Structural Funds, this person has taken his business from strength-to-strength and has been able to expand and grow in order to support more elderly and vulnerable people in the community and community groups. At the same time he has provided skills, qualifications and work experience for countless disadvantaged people.
His hard work, dedication and unceasing enthusiasm to make a real difference to the communities around him has resulted in a project that successfully delivered an enormous reduction of crime and fear of crime, increased pride of place and long-lasting community links throughout the region. His inspirational service is now being replicated across the UK, with further plans to take the project global and he continues to forge ahead with new ideas and a passionate fervour to see change happen.
I am therefore extremely pleased to be able to present the Pride of the Region award for an individual which best sums up success of the European Structural Fund funding period to... Trevor Lynn from Mow & Grow.