THE FOUNDER of rock and roll discos in York has been has been nominated for the Charity Fundraiser of the Year award - after raising thousands of pounds for charity.

Eileen Rayner, a Fulford resident and owner of a retro events and rock n roll events company, has raised more than £12,000 through her fundraising efforts.

This has been done through the organisation of Rock and Roll discos and dances every week and month in both Bishopthorpe and Tadcaster.

She has raised money for charities including Starlight Children’s foundation and St Leonard's Hospice.

Friend Tess Rolls nominated Mrs Rayner.

She said: "Eileen is totally committed to raising funds for several charities.
“She works very hard, giving up her time to make her Rock and Roll events successful and not only are they enjoyable but usually quite profitable. 

“She works tirelessly to raise huge amounts of money for deserving charities, with St Leonard’s Hospice, British Heart Foundation, Alzheimers Society and Starlight Children’s Foundation to name a few. She also holds charity raffles at all of her dances.” 

The Community Pride award for Charity fundraiser of the year is awarded to amateur fundraisers who are judged on innovative fundraising methods and the personal effort involved.

Last year’s winner was Marie Hughes, the founder of the charity OSCAR’s (Ongoing Support Care and Research). Mrs Hughes set up the chary in 2014 after losing her son, Oscar, to a brain tumour.

The Community Pride Awards are run by The Press and City of York Council, and the principal sponsor is Benenden. 

All nominees must live in, or contribute to life in, the City of York Council area. 

Around three finalists from each category will be invited to the awards ceremony at York Racecourse in October, when the winners will be revealed

York Press:

THE MAN behind an annual festival has been nominated for a Community Pride award after he raised money to save the event.

Ryedale Festival is a two-week long annual event in July that brings international artists and new performers to the stage, with 54 events taking place this year in 30 different locations between York and Scarborough.

Robin Andrews, chairman of the organisers (pictured above), set out to make the Ryedale Festival financially self-sufficient after the loss of around £60,000 of funding from Ryedale District Council and the Arts Council.

Mr Andrews was nominated in the Charity Fundraiser category by Mary MacAllister-Rees.

She said: “He brought it back from the brink.“It seemed to be an impossible task to take on raising so much money.

“This is where Robin excelled himself.

“It has taken a monumental effort and he has brought the festival to a strong position by working tirelessly to this end."

Mr Andrews raised the funds by increasing membership, asking various trusts and foundations for support and putting on fundraising events, among other things.

He has been chairman for six years, during which the turnover has almost doubled in size, and says he "brought a business attitude to the world of classical music."

This year the festival has 54 events in 30 different locations between York and Scarborough.

It is running until Sunday, July 31, and began on July 15 with a Gala Opening at Pickering Parish Church.

It aims to bring classical music to young people with various workshops and will include performances in stately homes such as Duncombe Park and Hovingham Hall.

It is regarded as one of the leading cultural festivals in the country, attracting upward of 8,000 people from across the country and from overseas.

Last year’s winner of the charity fundraiser category was Marie Hughes, who raised thousands of pounds in memory of her son.

York Press:

A SCHOOL doing tireless work to encourage its children to get the best start in life has been nominated for a School of the Year gong.

Acomb's Westfield Primary Community School is up for a Community Pride after it was nominated by last year's Volunteer of the Year, Jason Angus.

Mr Angus began working with the school through volunteering group York Cares, and continued to help them on a number of projects, such as providing laptops and bike lights for the children.

He said: "I love the school as the staff are all so approachable, friendly and caring and really want the children to succeed in life, not just at their school work.

"They educate them in all aspects of life; manners, responsibility, caring for others and helping others.

"They teach them how to remain safe and responsible on the internet and how it should be used.

"I think the work they do with the children is absolutely first class."

Westfield Primary works with both children and their families, providing assistance such as vouchers for the foodbank where necessary.

Headteacher Tracey Ralph (pictured above) said: “We are thrilled to have been nominated for this wonderful award.

"We pride ourselves on being a community school, so to have been nominated for a Community Pride award is fantastic recognition for our efforts.

"Many staff, including myself, are proud to live and work in Acomb and we support Acomb Alive, featuring local businesses in our annual Year Six summer show.

"We also dance on Acomb Green to kick off the Acomb Dance and Music Festival, and we sing carols round the tree with our community each advent."

The Community Pride awards are run by The Press and City of York Council, and the principal sponsor is Benenden.

All nominees must live in, or contribute to the life in the City of York Council area.

About three finalists from each category will be invited to the awards ceremony at York Racecourse in October, when the winners will be revealed.