Date: 28th March 2006
Released by: ANDREW TURNER

Representatives of branches of the Isle of Wight Conservative Association have received awards from Island MP, Andrew Turner.

The award winners, pictured (see attachment) left to right with Mr Turner, were:

• David Woodward receiving the Ian Fulton Membership Cup (for highest percentage increase of Membership Quota) on behalf of Ryde Branch,
• Pat Larkin receiving the Blue Ribbon Cup (for most Cash raised by a Branch) on behalf of Bembridge Branch,
• Angela Clarke receiving the Angela Clarke Cup for Fundraising (for highest percentage increase in Fundraising) and the Mr & Mrs A.E.C Needle Overall Quota Cup (for highest percentage increase in Quota and Membership) on behalf of Shalfleet & Yarmouth Branch, and
• Alan Scovell, of Ventnor & St Lawrence Branch, awarded the Mr & Mrs D.R Jones Individual Membership Cup for the member who has recruited most new members in a year.

Mr Turner presented the awards at the Association’s AGM at the Riverside Centre.

Later he said,

“These awards recognize the hard but unglamorous work which volunteers put into our political parties and through them to our system of democracy. It is the politicians who get the publicity and the credit, but none of our political parties could function without volunteers behind the scenes, who raise the money that pays for elections.

They also keep the politicians in touch with the man in the street, whereas recent talk of taxpayer funding of political parties would allow us to become even more out of touch. So they are a genuine and essential link in the chain between government and governed, without which our democracy would be less representative.”

END

Contact: Andrew Turner 01983 530808