Corinne Spencer - January winner
As Chair of the Gosford Park Residents' Association, Corinne has worked tirelessly to help make the area a nicer, safer, cleaner place to live. She is passionate about improving the neighbourhood and puts all her efforts into helping the whole community, and asks for no reward or recognition in return. Her satisfaction is in seeing her local community thrive and bonding together to support and encourage each other.
Corinne has demonstrated her love of the area which she has lived in for most of her life and her commitment to its future in many ways. As Chair of the GPRA, she prides herself on being proactive and dynamic and has organised and led many events and campaigns over the years which have benefitted the community.
She has been instrumental in establishing a Play Area in Stoke Green. This has been an incredible success and has made this busy part of Coventry feel like a community again. It is a focal point where families of all nationalities and backgrounds meet and enjoy themselves. She has organised litter picks, several major fundraising events, Community Fun Days, a Big Lunch, Children's Christmas Parties, produces a newsletter which keeps residents informed about developments in the area. In addition to this, she also single-handedly produces a free magazine called Doorstep News which is distributed by volunteers to 1,200 homes in the area. Corinne is also a Community Governor at Gosford Park Primary School, works with Gosford Community Hub a member of the Coventry Action for Neighbourhoods (CAN) group which works with Coventry City Council to improve our communities. Together with all of this she is a good team leader, has strong organisational skills, is caring and compassionate. She can be counted on to support and help others and is always ready with a smile and a joke. She has a positive outlook and always sees the silver linings. She is liked and well respected, not only by her community, but is also held in high regard by local agencies such as the Police, Officers at Coventry City Council, schools and businesses etc.
Corinne juggles all this with a full time job working as a property manager. Despite this, and
having many other commitments, she gives endless hours of her spare time to raise funds for the community and carries out the many voluntary activities with professionalism, humour and integrity. Residents have nicknamed her the 'Steel Orchid' and a 'Warrior'.
Corinne truly is an outstanding role model of a ‘Good Citizen’.