Charitable Anthea nominated for Community Champions award

ANTHEA Peters has always been determined to help the disadvantaged and the homeless in any way she can.

For eight years, the 61-year-old has been organising and training volunteers on the Derby Soup Run – a service which the city's homeless have come to rely on.

Combining this with her work at Derby City Mission, St Peter's Church and looking after her 91-year-old mother means Anthea has a very busy schedule.

But the grandmother-of-three said her Christian beliefs have always motivated her to help others and she has no plans to cut down her workload.

Her friend Eileen Stringer said Anthea does not get the recognition she deserves for her hard work, which is why she has nominated her for a Derby Telegraph Community Champions award.

Anthea, of Willow Close, Darley Abbey, said she was very surprised her name had been put forward.

She said: "I've always had a real buzz from helping others but it's not something you do to be rewarded and you don't really expect it.

"But it's incredibly nice to be recognised and, more importantly, it's great that some of the projects I work for are being noticed too."

Anthea, who works part-time as an administrator for Barnardos, is the Tuesday night co-ordinator of Derby Soup Run, which operates from the Osmaston Road Baptist Church.

She trains the volunteers who dish out the soup on Tuesday nights and ensures enough people are there to carry out the task.

Anthea said: "For many who sleep rough on the streets, the soup run is the only thing they have – particularly in this extremely cold weather.

"I never like to be sitting around at home if I know they need me there, so I'll always help out if I can."

Anthea regularly helps out at her church in St Peter's Street, Derby, and, once every three months, assists with its Sunday supper, when people in need receive a free meal and hot drinks.

Then at Christmas she lends a hand to charity Derby City Mission as it gathers gifts for underprivileged children at the Westfield Centre.

Anthea has also co-ordinated bulb-planting sessions and litter picks for Serve the City – a project which pools Christian resources in cities across the world – and, for nearly 30 years, she sat on the Allestree committee of the Children's Society.

Looking after her mother Dorothy, who lives on the Leylands Estate in Broadway, also takes up much of Anthea's time.

Fellow Barnardos worker Eileen said she nominated Anthea to make her realise how important she was to other people.

She said: "She never asks or expects anything in return, but I think she should get the recognition she truly deserves."

The Derby Telegraph has teamed up with BBC Radio Derby, Derbyshire Building Society, Derby City Council and Derby County Football Club for the Community Champions awards.

On Sunday, May 16, our 14 winners will be invited to a ceremony at Pride Park Stadium. Nomination forms can be found at www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/champions or www.bbc.co.uk/derby. They are also in some copies of the Derby Telegraph, or they can be collected from BBC Radio Derby in St Helen's Street, Derby, and the Derbyshire Building Society.

They should be sent to Caroline Jones, Community Champions, Derby Evening Telegraph, Northcliffe House, Meadow Road, Derby DE1 2BH by Friday, April 2.