A community volunteer, budding footballer and club secretary have been honoured for their dedication to Bungay at the town’s annual civic evening.

Judy Cloke, who is helping to push forward a number of community projects, was honoured with the Civic Award, while 15-year-old footballer Harvey Sayer received the Trevor Collyer Cup and Bungay Town’s secretary Mick Simpson received the coveted Bezant Cup.

Mrs Cloke received her trophy from Mary Matthews, who has just stepped down as mayor of Bungay, at the annual civic evening organised by the town council on May 22.

The award recognises those who have made a difference in the town but whose efforts go largely unnoticed.

Mrs Cloke has helped to re-establish the Bungay Youth Club, re-activated long-standing plans for a new community centre and been an active member of the Bungay Community Library trustees.

Her nomination spoke of her fundraising efforts through making cakes and using plants from her own garden, and making sure the planters in Earsham Street were kept attractive.

Mrs Cloke, who is a former mayor, said she was flattered and delighted to receive the award.

Mr Simpson received the Bezant Cup as the town’s sports personality of the year.

He has been involved in local football for 33 years, and with Bungay Town for 20 years, taking over as secretary 10 years ago, and has been the manager of the men’s Sunday morning team for all of that time.

Mr Simpson said he was “surprised but pleased” to win the award.

“Sometimes the role of secretary can be a nightmare, and you wonder why you are doing it but I get enjoyment out of it,” he said. “You are putting something into local football, and you get something back from the game.

“Football has changed tremendously over the past 50 years but there is still that certain thing about it - it is like a drug, and you get the adrenalin rush, as the club did recently when playing at Portman Road in the Suffolk Senior Cup final.”

Mr Simpson was unable to attend the reception to pick up his award as he was managing the Sunday first team in their last game of the season. It was handed over to him in the dressing room after the game.

Footballer awarded

A budding young England footballer with aims of making a professional career in the game is the 2018 winner of the Trevor Collyer Cup.

The cup is awarded to a young person doing good work in sports or the community and 15-year-old Harvey Sayer received the award from Bungay mayor Mick Lincoln.

Harvey, a student at Bungay High School, played for Bungay junior teams until the age of nine, when he joined Norwich City’s academy - and from there he was taken on by Colchester United.

He has made great progress since then, and has played for England U15s against Belgium as a left-sided forward. England won the game 2-1.

“It is great to receive this award,” he said. “They have seen the hard work I am putting in. When I leave school I will start getting paid at Colchester as a football scholar, and then hopefully I will get a professional contract.”

These are exciting times for Harvey, whose nomination for the award spoke of his mature attitude and determination to succeed. It said his was an excellent nomination for the cup, given in memory of Bungay sportsman Trevor Collyer.