The purpose of the Stan Pitt Award is to recognise and publicly thank people, either an individual or a group, who have worked to improve the villages comprising the Parish of Kirkby Mallory, Peckleton and Stapleton.

The award was inaugurated in 2014 in memory of Stan Pitt, former councillor and chairman of the Parish Council.

There have been 11 winners so far:

2014 June Pitt

Mrs June Pitt was selected by Peckleton Parish Council to be the first person honoured by being presented with their Community Award for 2014

June was nominated because she has been a member of the Peckleton Village Hall Committee since 1977 and has continually been involved in organising fund raising activities for both the Hall and the Church. She has both instigated and overseen many improvements to the Hall, including most recently a new kitchen. She is also the key holder and secretary. June is an active member of the Church where she often plays the organ. She has organised numerous flower festivals and helps to look after the Church. Despite the sad death of her husband Stan, June continues to involve herself in village life, taking over many of Stan's former roles and ensuring that his legacy of contribution to village life in Peckleton continues to this day'

2015 Sandra Ladkin

Mrs Sandra Ladkin of Peckleton was nominated as treasurer of Peckleton Village Hall Committee, and also for helping to organise the monthly whist drives for many years. Mrs Ladkin can often be found decorating the hall and village church for various events.

2016 Roy Stafford

Mr Stafford of Stapleton was noted as the Chairman of Stapleton Village Hall Committee for many years, and could often be found carrying out maintenance, decorating the hall for various events and doing anything else which needed doing to keep Stapleton Village Hall going.

He has done an excellent job in not just keeping the village hall going, as he has been instrumental in improving the village hall itself, via grants etc. This includes new heating, new ceiling, new lighting, new kitchen, redecorations, disabled WC, and organising resurfacing the car park in 2016, etc. He has carried out some the work himself.

He has also been instrumental in introducing a successful programme of enjoyable events during the winter months which have brought in local people to enjoy each other's company and raise funds. These include skittles, horse racing and quiz nights. The village hall can now truly be regarded as a community resource.

2017 Janet Hemsley

Mrs Hemsley, of Kirkby Mallory, has been a Church Warden for many years and has helped to organise fundraisers, quizzes, church fetes, barbeques and special occasions over the years, as well as church services and her church warden duties

2018 Diane Faulks

A passionate long-term supporter of Stapleton Village Hall. She is an active member of the Village Hall Committee and has served on the Committee in many roles for many years under several different Chairmen. Currently she is the Secretary and Tote Officer. Amongst her responsibilities as Secretary is to take the meeting minutes, which usually appear with alacrity the following morning after the meeting!

The Village Hall Tote raises significant and valuable funds towards the Hall's running costs. As Tote Officer she is responsible for ensuring that the Tote is correctly run. She organises the collectors, accounts for the funds and pursues new members to join the Tote. Other roles at the Village Hall include turning out in all weathers to open up the Hall and afterwards checking that the hall has been left ready for the next letting. This may even include a spot of repainting and cleaning. This year Diane organised the manufacture and fitting of the car park barrier and was successful in obtaining 100% grant funding of the cost.

Diane regularly attends the social evenings held at the Hall and is always a willing volunteer to help out on these evenings. In addition, Diane is a good neighbour to many people in the village. She is a sympathetic listener and goes out of her way to help others.

2019 Dorothy Draycott

A long-term supporter of the communities of Peckleton and Kirkby Mallory. She is an active member of the Church and has played the organ at both churches for many years. Dorothy also plays for baptisms, weddings and funerals and accommodates the range of requests that are made on these occasions.

In addition to her commitment to the community through her long service on the PCC, Dorothy attends and helps others to attend such village activities as there are.

Quietly and without drawing attention to herself, she frequently provides practical support to a variety of causes – by baking cakes, supplying pot plants for decoration and tending the churchyard to name but a few.

Dorothy is very highly thought of in the community

2020 Peter Leech

Peter is a champion litter picker. For the past few years he has litter picked from Stapleton to Barwell on a daily basis. We always know when he has gone on holiday as the litter mounts up again!! On a Sunday he gets up at 7am to litter pick on the A447 towards Hinckley. He has built up a good relationship with the council who provide him with his equipment.

2021/22 Sandra Stafford and Chris Whitby and Eleanor Graff-Baker

Sandra demonstrates selfless service to her local community. It was apparent, especially during 'lockdown', that Sandra played various supporting and community building roles within Stapleton and the local area, not least her work with food bank collections, and more visible work through her role via the Village Hall.

Additionally, I'm aware that Sandra ensures the continuing wellbeing of more elderly village residence, by regularly 'checking-in' on them, and during the pandemic offered to collect shopping and supplies for them, and more generally offered reassurance and a friendly face.

Chris and Eleanor, individually and as a couple, have constantly, conscientiously, and diligently voluntarily devoted much time and effort, not for just the last two years, but for a few decades to numerous village events that have helped to keep the village community spirit alive.

Eleanor is active and involved with all things the church does and the Village Hall. She does not just sit on the committee she always takes up an active role with whatever either of these two bodies organises or runs. The church and Village Hall are central to the village and what they do makes Peckleton what it is.

Her significant involvement is always associated with music. She is the prime mover and organiser of the music evenings/afternoon concerts that take place several times each year. She somehow persuades her musical friends and contacts to come and perform. She has also persuaded villagers to come together to perform as a choir.

Chris beavers away quietly doing many things and is certainly an unsung hero. He is the Church warden and seems to single-handedly keep the church running, organising services, taking care of the cemetery and the church itself. He has just raised about £80,000 for the upkeep, maintenance, and improvement of the building.

2023 Geoff Tomlinson

For more than 20 years Geoff has helped with repairs and maintenance of the Church Bells, including helping manufacture and erect a frame for the bell ropes plus other bell maintenance.

He has repaired broken gravestones and kept a watchful eye over the fabric of the Church for many years.

When Geoff retired he took over sole responsibility for the maintenance and winding of the 1921 vintage Church Clock, including the chiming, which rings out every 30 minutes. On Mondays and Fridays he winds the clock by hand, lifting the 2 substantial weights that operate the clock and the chime. He has changed the winch wires on a number of occasions and lubricates the pulleys and clock mechanism regularly. It is a matter of great personal pride that he is able to keep the clock hands and chiming on perfect time.

Geoff is always available to make repairs, help with the maintaining the fabric and keeps an eye on the security of the School room building.

2024 Peter Chick

Peter is very well liked and respected. He was Chairman of the Parish Council from 2012 to 2023 and a diligent representative of the parish as a whole.,

Peter is a key supporter and leader of many events in Peckleton, a willing volunteer, he welcomes newcomers, is always willing to share advice and have a chat, he is 'pretty much the lynchpin of Peckleton'.