Pride of Redditch Awards 2013

Nomination for Ian Johnson

Zoe said…..

Ian does so much, Save the Alex (STA), Church Hill Big Local, you only have to text him and he is there being helpful.  It's all the little things as well that make a difference.  He seems to do more than anyone I know to help others.   His work with STA has come under criticism through social media and he has taken it personally.  Yet he has still stood by STA because he is trying to save the hospital for all of us.  

He knows a lot about what is going on in Church Hill and when I speak to him I often find he is involved in helping people from all over the estate, he is very proactive.

He often pops in to see how we are and he's always thinking about how he can help and giving advice.  Asking us have we tried this, have we done that, looking out for us and even making a notice for the old shop and standing up for us if he thinks we're not getting our fair share.  One of my staff had a problem with their phone and he even brought his laptop into the shop and spent time trying to sort it for her.  

The new shop has been really hard work, we've had phone lines down, street lights out and Ian has been chasing people and trying to get it sorted.  He's a really good guy in the community and I know if anyone needs help he would be straight there.  It's like time is nothing because he gives so much of it and works at all hours of the night too getting something ready for us once at 4am in the morning.

Wendy his wife is not in the best of health but he deals with all of this on top of everything else.  I'd like him to win so that he knows he is appreciated and so that he never gives up.  He is a true gentleman with a big heart of gold and for me, no-one deserves it as much as him.

Gemma said….

I am emailing you as I would like to nominate Ian Johnson for the pride of Redditch award.He is an absolute credit to Redditch.

Not only does he constantly give all of his time to the save the Alex campaign, there day and night no matter what, doing all he can to try and save the Alex. He also finds time to really support the church hill local and all the goings on in Churchill with the new build and fund raising events that have taken place and general taking care of the community.

 Ian especially helps out with in my work place a hell of a lot. I work in the Salon based in church hill centre. I met Ian when he started the save the Alex campaign and come in to our salon to try get us involved and get us to advertise it. Then I got to know Ian a bit more when he helped out at our fundraising event. I thought how lovely it was that he was so willing to help as well as run and be a part of all his other commitments.

 However i got to know Ian a whole lot more when we had a mad rush with moving shops from the old build of church hill into the new build. He was there as early as 8am and there as late as 10pm, helping carrying things over, decorating, assembling new furniture, painting, hoovering and cleaning, he did all he could to help us, we only needed to pick the phone up and he came. As well as supporting the Alex and doing the plant a bulb event as soon as he finished Ian came down to our salon and helped us out. He also helped out with our on going battle with BT. As well as waiting at the shop early one morning to let one of the on site workers in as he lived closer than us he offered to meet him. He also was a huge help in helping to program our salon master (which runs our hot water) he did all the times and temperature something me and my boss struggled with, however he managed to do it first time.

 Whilst all of this was going on, my own personal mobile phone broke and Ian with out being asked to helped all he could by using and giving up his own personal laptop to download my phone onto to try fix the problem and having not being successful he has still kept all of my media etc on his laptop until I can get a new phone then he shall be able to put it back on.

 With Ian you only need to mention a problem or something that's going on and he jumps to help. I haven't ever met such a warm hearted genuine and very helpful person.

Ian definitely deserves this award as he is so humble and giving and supportive to every thing that goes on within our community. There should be more people as nice and caring as Ian. He defiantly is a deserve winner!