FAMILY of a much-loved guide leader who died suddenly of a heart attack have received an honour on her behalf.

FAMILY of a much-loved guide leader who died suddenly of a heart attack have received an honour on her behalf.

Janet Bloomfield was devoted to her community and young people - described as a “happy and bubbly” person who is missed greatly by everyone who knew her.

She was given a Felixstowe Mayor's Award to mark her service to the town - the first of the awards ever to be made posthumously.

Mrs Bloomfield left a husband Michael, sons William, nine, and Richard, and daughters Jacqualine and Joanne, and grandchildren Lauren, Ryan, Reece and Leo, and many of her family were at the ceremony at the Town Hall to collect the award for her.

Mrs Bloomfield, 52, who had been a brownie, guide and Queen's Guide during her youth, served the guides for 30 years.

She served as district commissioner, was leader of the 1st Walton Guides, was district international adviser, and her many other roles included being a guide guider advisor, and involved in the countywide co-ordination of events to mark guiding's centenary.

She was also a school dinner lady, lollipop lady and served as chairman of the parents and friends association at Causton Junior School in Felixstowe.

Her best friend Ruth Lewis, a guide unit leader, said: “Janet was a tireless organiser and nothing was too much trouble for her - everything she did was for the good of the children.

“She would never say no, and she was definitely an unsung hero.”

Pay your tributes to this year's award winners - write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

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MAYOR Mike Deacon paid tribute to the hard work of people who served a variety of organisations across the resort.

“It was very hard to narrow the many nominations we had down to five awards,” he said.

“The work people do in our community as volunteers in all sorts of groups and bodies is wonderful - with some people being involved in several different organisations.

“The awards were all well deserved.”

In addition to Janet Bloomfield, awards were also presented to:

Bryan Frost - championed public transport in the town since 1979 as a member of the East Suffolk Travellers' Association. He is also treasurer of the Friends of St Felix Home for the Blind and driving force to save it and attract funding, and a member of Felixstowe Futures Group and Friends of Felixstowe Seafront Gardens.

Lis Goddard - founder of the Felixstowe Arthritis Care Group, putting aside her own pain from the condition to help other sufferers and organise a range of events and activities. She recently helped found the town's Young at Heart Club.

Sheila Richardson - a tireless worker with the Mother's Union, Children's Society, St Felix Home for the Blind, and Community Visiting Scheme, where she is often the only link between housebound people and the outside world.

John White - Felixstowe Ferry ferryman and harbourmaster, rescuing many boats and saving many lives, and tireless fundraiser for the coast patrol service.

YOUNG people were rewarded for their outstanding service to the community in two very different ways.

Felixstowe Town Council awarded the HMS Ganges Youth Trophy jointly to Jonathan Harvey, a member of the Felixstowe Volunteer Coast Patrol Rescue Service, and the BTech drama group at Deben High School.

The drama group were responsible for the planning, content and delivery of drama input of the Let's Get A Life campaign, which aims to sow the seeds of respect and positive behaviour in the young and combat anti-social behaviour.

Rob Cawley, headteacher of Deben High, said: “We are all so proud here of the students who have put so much of their time into such an important campaign.

“The Let's Get A Life tour was a great opportunity not only for our students to engage personally with the aims of the programme, but to engage other pupils in eleven local schools to look at the effects of their behaviour on others and encourage positive action.”

Inspector Steve Gallant, of Felixstowe and District Safer Neighbourhood Team, said he was proud of the students and that their hard work and dedication had been rewarded.

“The campaign itself is something that I feel passionately about as it rewards good behaviour in the younger community and aims to reduce crime. I commend the students for their outstanding work.”

Jonathan has been with the rescue service for six years and last summer did 31 patrols, 160 hours of service, including patrolling the exclusion zone during the Felixstowe bomb incident and saving the lives of two young boys washed out to sea.

FUNDRAISING and donations to the Felixstowe Mayor's Charity over the past year raised �5,402.

Mayor Mike Deacon paid tribute to all those who had supported the charity - which enabled �2,701 to be presented to both Home-Start Suffolk Coastal, which supports young families to help give their children a good start in life, and the Level2 youth centre, which works with hundreds of young people, running courses and services, drop-in sessions and holiday activities.

“I was absolutely gob-smacked - people have been very generous indeed and I am very pleased with the help we have been able to give these two excellent causes,” he said.