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Title: Prestigious Award For Doncaster Great-Grandma Author: St Leger Homes  ID & Publication: 20120311009 ~ The-Villager.co.uk  Area: Wheatley  Subject: Community News

A Doncaster tenant who has worked endlessly for her local community has won a prestigious award.

Mavis Williams (86), a great grandma, who lives in Wheatley, has clinched the title Tenant of the Year for the northern region in the awards run by TPAS – the Tenant Participation Advisory Service. She now goes into the national finals in a bid to clinch the national title.

Mavis was nominated for the award by St Leger Homes of Doncaster – the organisation that manages just under 21,000 homes for Doncaster Council.

Despite periods of ill health, much of Mavis’ retired life has been dedicated to working for the benefit of tenants and residents in Doncaster.

She became involved in the tenants’ movement in 1992 and went on to join the Doncaster Federation of Tenants’ and Residents’ Association in 1993. For many years she served as secretary and is still an active member today. In fact, she is the longest serving member of the Doncaster Federation and is the only person to have been made a honorary member.

Over the years Mavis has travelled around the country championing tenants’ rights, including attending meetings at the Houses of Parliament, she is treasurer of the Wheatley CAN Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, she sells books and home made cakes to raise funds for two trips a year to the coast for tenants, makes an annual donation to the National Lifeboat Institute and was the driving force behind improvements carried out to the gardens around the flats in her area.

Mavis said: ‘I was short-listed with 11 others – when they read my name out as the winner I wasn’t expecting it at all. I didn’t think I would win. It’s a nice gesture. I do the work I do because I love it. I love helping other tenants – I get satisfaction out of it.’

Susan Jordan, chief executive of St Leger Homes, said: ‘Mavis is a worthy winner of this award. She devotes so many hours to helping shape our services and in supporting and helping tenants. Well done Mavis! Our fingers are now crossed for when she goes to the national finals.’

Meanwhile, Doncaster tenant Laura Greenwood, who chairs St Leger Homes’ scrutiny panel, was shortlisted as Young Tenant of the Year for the northern region.

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