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Sir Mike Rake presents BT Chairman's Awards

BT's Sir Mike Rake today presented the Chairman's Awards at the BT Tower in London. The awards are the highest accolade of one of the company's most long-running and esteemed employee charity schemes - BT Community Champions.

A total of 15 awards and £23,000 was distributed at today's ceremony and winners were selected in five categories - Community & Culture; Sport; Education, Development & Awareness; Youth and Emerging Impact.  The BT chairman personally selects the winners of the Chairman's Awards from hundreds of applications short-listed by a judging panel.

Ken Evans, a network delivery champion was awarded the highest honour, the £5,000 outstanding achievement award.  Ken won the award on behalf of Neath and District Talking Magazine for the Blind, a group that researches, produces, edits and distributes a free talking newspaper to visually impaired people in the community.

Ken said: "It all started in 1985 when I was contacted by the editor of the Swansea Talking Magazine, who was also a colleague of mine, asking if I knew of anyone who might be interested in setting up a Neath edition.  I'm honoured to have been short listed and am lost for words having won the outstanding achievement award as well as the community and culture award.  The volunteering has helped me develop and grow personally and professionally and the acknowledgement I've received today makes me feel really valued.  I'd like to recognise the hard work of all the other volunteers in the group as well. "

Sir Mike Rake added: "This is the second year I've presided over these awards and I'm very impressed by the dedication and selflessness showed by all the volunteers.  I'm proud of them all and I'm pleased that BT is able to give back to the community by supporting and encouraging our employees in this way.   I'd like to extend my personal thanks to, and admiration for, everyone involved in local community work across the UK and throughout the world. Congratulations again to Ken for his outstanding contribution."

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