Some of Cornwall's most remarkable individuals over the age of sixty have been honoured at a special recognition ceremony held at County Hall in Truro.
Launched in January, the 60 Over 60 campaign set to shine a light on people across Cornwall who are embracing healthy, active ageing and inspiring others to do the same.
The response from communities across Cornwall was overwhelming, with an independent panel of judges receiving more than 220 nominations spanning twelve categories:
Lifetime Community Champion, Volunteer of the Year, Mentor of the Year, Creative Contributor, Health and Wellbeing Advocate, Environmental Hero, Sports Inspiration, Neighbourhood Supporter, Business Leader, Cultural Ambassador, Charity Fundraiser, and Unsung Hero.
Finalists were recognised for things such as from keeping communities active through yoga, cycling and sea swimming, to bringing people together through song and dance, to simply being the quiet, steady "glue" that holds a neighbourhood together.
With nominees ranging in age from 60 to 103, the campaign proved that age is no barrier to living life to the full.
Annette Baskerville-Smith was Highly Commended in the Creative Contributor category:
“At first, I was really shocked. You do these things just for the passion of doing them. Now that I am here it has really sunk in and I appreciate that people have recognised the work that I do.
“When you get to a certain age group it is quite easy to be forgotten and one of the good things that has come about from this, is you can actually encourage other people to get out and say to them; don’t sit at home, get out there and champion who you are, as it gives you a great sense of well-being.”
This work is part of Cornwall’s work to becoming an Age Friendly Community, an initiative set out by the World Health Organisation.
Age-friendly communities work together to help people stay active and more connected, which promotes better health and reduces dependence on urgent interventions.
Cornwall Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health Partnerships, Councillor Jim McKenna, paid tribute to everyone involved:
"I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to nominate someone from their community.
“It was very difficult to narrow it down to just sixty people, as everyone nominated went above and beyond in their daily lives to stay active, healthy and support others.
“This campaign exists to say thank you to those people who so often give without expectation of recognition.
And our finalists were all here because someone in their community saw what they do and thought: that person deserves to be celebrated.”
The calibre of nominees left a lasting impression on the judging panel. One finalist was described as: "inspirational, deeply committed to her community, and proof that later life can be a time of profound contribution and positive change."
Profiles of all winners will be published on the Cornwall Council website in the coming weeks, with their stories shared across social media over the months ahead.