Chums, August, 2023: A local woman has been awarded an ultimate care package from UK clothing retailer, Chums, in recognition of her tireless commitment to the community and her years of helping those in need.
Ruth Giles, from Berkshire, has been described as the type of person who would rather be the helper than the recipient and is always keeping herself busy by supporting others.
Whether it be a church tea, the local food bank or a school fete, Ruth can always be found lending a hand or a friendly ear to anyone in the community who needs it.
Every year she takes part in the local shoe box appeal, putting together tens and tens of Christmas boxes for those in need and often fills them with hand-knitted scarves, hats and blankets.
Ruth also regularly puts her cross-stitch skills to good use creating bespoke birth samplers for anyone who requests one, completely free of charge.
The prize comes from a leading UK clothing retailer specifically designed for shoppers aged 60 and above who were on the lookout for unsung heroes within their local communities who may not have received the recognition they deserve.
Chums launched the competition earlier this year and invited people across the UK to nominate an older person in their life who they believe is an everyday hero in their own right and who inspires younger generations.
Speaking on the competition, Paul Gray, Marketing Director of Chums, explained how they as a company wanted to give the opportunity for people to showcase how much of a positive impact these community heroes have and thank them for being generous with their time, their wisdom and their wit, The company also hopes to inspire others on the importance of supporting your local community.
As part of the package, each community hero Chums selected received:
- A £100 Ryanair voucher
- Theatre tickets for 2
- A £100 Chums voucher
- A selection of other goodies, including chocolate
According to her daughter Liz Rumble, who nominated Ruth for the prize, the win came as a bit of a surprise as she would never want any recognition for the work she does.
Liz added: “ Helping in the community is a great thing to get involved with if you have the capacity and ability to do so. I know my mum wants to help while she is able to do so. She has never helped for want of recognition. She helps because she likes to be helpful and useful and because she enjoys it.
“I think that’s a good way to be. Whether you have minutes to spare or hours, there’s always something that can be done to help others; a quick litter pick, taking a friend or neighbour to an appointment or just talking to someone who needs a chat. “
Ruth has yet to decide where she will visit using the flight voucher as she’s actually afraid of planes however, her daughter thinks she may be able to convince her to fly to Scotland as they have family members out there.
