THE chairwoman of the Witham Hub is being honoured with a national award.
Tina Townsend will receive the British Citizen’s Award (BCA) at the Palace of Westminster on July 23.
The award, part of the People’s Honours, recognises individuals who make outstanding contributions to their communities.
Tina said: "I am humbled to receive this award.
"I take tremendous pleasure in helping people in my community and I have built a team around me that has worked hard to develop the Witham Hub and all that it does.
"I see this award as being a recognition of their efforts as well as my own."
Tina was nominated for the award in recognition of her dedication to improving the lives of others.
In 1999 she suffered two life-threatening strokes, which exposed her to isolation and loss of independence.
This led to her founding the Witham Hub as a community organisation providing food security, mental health and peer support.
The hub has grown under her leadership to support dementia and long-term condition groups, crisis intervention, advocacy and assistance for those facing homelessness, domestic abuse and chronic isolation.
Tina has also led the installation of 18 publicly accessible, 24-hour defibrillators across Witham, Braintree, Hatfield Peverel and Colchester.
Through her work, she has built strong partnerships across health, voluntary and statutory sectors, and inspired a dedicated team of staff and volunteers.
Ian Boorman, trustee at the Witham Hub, said: "We are immensely proud of Tina for winning this richly deserved award.
"It recognises the tremendous contribution she has made to the community of Witham.
"Our town is a much better place because of Tina’s magnificent, proactive efforts over many years."
Tina will be honoured during a special ceremony at the palace followed by an open-top bus tour of Westminster’s landmarks.
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The Witham Hub, which recently expanded into Braintree, is planning further growth in 2026 to reach even more people.
As well as her work with the hub, Tina volunteers with Essex Police and Essex County Fire and Rescue.
The BCA, established in 2012, is awarded biannually at the Palace of Westminster.
Recipients are selected by an independent assessment panel.
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