Ex QC Susan Wallin MBE
2012/13 was quite a hat trick year of awards for ex QC Susan Wallin and her Theatre Group. The Diamond Award in November 2012 ( given by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall ) and then the MBE in February 2013 ( which was presented by the Queen ) Also an invitation to the Queen’s Garden Party in July 2013, because Side By Side was awarded The Queen’s Award for Volunteers
Newspaper Report
Side by Side founder collects MBE
A Stourbridge theatre company volunteer is celebrating after picking up an MBE from Buckingham Palace.
Susan Wallin who trains learning disabled adults in the performing arts, joined Olympic heroes and Cherie Blair when she was honoured by the Queen last Thursday.
The 69 year old retired drama teacher from Norton has been running Side by Side theatre company for the past 16 years. During this time the company has scooped countless performance awards and has appeared at both the Edinburgh and Prague fringe festivals. Susan was accompanied by her husband Derek, son Gregory and her 14 year old granddaughter to collect her award.
The ceremony took place in the palace ballroom where Sue’s family enjoyed watching the proceedings from the front row before granddaughter Charlotte went on to have her photograph taken with the many Olympiads present.
Susan said, “It was such a special day and wonderful that my family were able to share it with me. The Queen looked radiant in an off white dress, she knew we had toured the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and gave us her best wishes for the future. I feel very special and humble to have been honoured and it has been a wonderful experience. I now hope that it will help even more performers and volunteers to find out about Side by Side Theatre Company and how worthwhile our work is.”
Side by Side founder collects MBE
A Stourbridge theatre company volunteer is celebrating after picking up an MBE from Buckingham Palace.
Susan Wallin who trains learning disabled adults in the performing arts, joined Olympic heroes and Cherie Blair when she was honoured by the Queen last Thursday.
The 69 year old retired drama teacher from Norton has been running Side by Side theatre company for the past 16 years. During this time the company has scooped countless performance awards and has appeared at both the Edinburgh and Prague fringe festivals. Susan was accompanied by her husband Derek, son Gregory and her 14 year old granddaughter to collect her award.
The ceremony took place in the palace ballroom where Sue’s family enjoyed watching the proceedings from the front row before granddaughter Charlotte went on to have her photograph taken with the many Olympiads present.
Susan said, “It was such a special day and wonderful that my family were able to share it with me. The Queen looked radiant in an off white dress, she knew we had toured the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and gave us her best wishes for the future. I feel very special and humble to have been honoured and it has been a wonderful experience. I now hope that it will help even more performers and volunteers to find out about Side by Side Theatre Company and how worthwhile our work is.”
Newspaper Reports
The Diamond Award [presented by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall]
A STOURBRDGE WOMAN has received royal recognition for her extraordinary contribution as an older volunteer.
Sue Wallin, aged 68, has been named a Diamond Champion and will attend a prestigious reception at St James’s Palace in London next week (November 29th).
Sue heads up Side by Side Theatre company, a charity which supports adults with learning disabilities. The Diamond Champion Awards was set up by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in conjunction with older people’s charity WRVS. The aim of the awards was to recognise people over the age of 60, who make an extraordinary difference in the community, to the lives of others through their volunteering in the jubilee year. More than 4500 people from across the country were put forward for awards and Sue joined 60 regional finalists from 550 Midlands nominees, to attend a ceremony at the Hyatt Hotel in Birmingham last month. At this event Sue was told that she had been short-listed with 9 other Midlands finalists to attend the St James’s Palace reception. Sue was also presented with a specially designed Diamond Champions pin and a certificate signed by Prince Charles & Camilla. The awards have been supported by celebrities Philip Scholfield, Gloria Hunniford, Patricia Routledge, Kimberley Walsh, Kate Adie, Denise Robertson and Roy Noble, who are also expected to attend the royal reception. In a statement about the awards Their Royal Highnesses said, “We wanted to seek out and celebrate the contribution of the older generation who, often unsung and unnoticed, help to improve life for others in their communities.
Sue’s charity, Side by Side is an independent theatre company which gives learning disabled adults training in the performing arts and the opportunity to work as actors and dancers in a professionally organised group.
Sue is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers, including her husband Derek Lidington who will accompany her to the palace state apartments. Sue started the group in 1997 and has tirelessly volunteered ever since, writing and directing shows, fundraising and organising national and international tours for the award winning company. The group has no regular funding and relies solely on donations, grants, fundraising events and the support of a team of dedicated volunteers who help the group to succeed. The group has performed in Sweden and in Prague and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as well as locally and have scooped a raft of awards along the way.
Andy Gray, Chief Officer from voluntary sector support charity said, "Sue is the pride of Stourbridge who has been honoured locally with a Dudley Mayor's Award nomination and with a Dudley Volunteer Award. I am personally over the moon that she has received this national royal honour, highlighting the important contribution Sue makes as a volunteer to people with learning disabilities in Dudley borough". Although Sue has been recognised as an older volunteer she shows no signs of slowing down. Funding is currently being sought to employ a drama coach and administrator to help the group go from strength to strength and a new friends group is currently being set up. Rehearsals are also underway for new production The Prodigal Son. Extracts from the show will premiere at Dudley Festival in March and the whole will be performed at Stourbridge Town Hall in June
More information can be found about the group by visiting: www.sidebysidetheatrecompanystourbridge.co.uk
STOURBRIDGE THEATRE COMPANY VOLUNTEERS AWARDED THE QUEEN'S AWARD FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICES
Side By Side Theatre Company Stourbridge, were presented with the highest award in the UK, given to voluntary groups, at a High Tea on Sunday, 28th July 2013, which was held at Stourbridge Tennis and Squash Club, Norton, Stourbridge. The Queen’s Deputy Lieutenant, Peter Tomlinson, presented the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service to the volunteers who work with Side By Side, a theatre company of learning disabled actors. The award was an exclusive, engraved commemorative crystal and a certificate signed personally, by the Queen. Over the course of a year 44 volunteers give their time and energy in some way to support the actors, who rehearse twice a week at New Road Methodist Church, Stourbridge. The hours given by the volunteers in the course of a year add up to around 6000.
The company was formed in 1997 and have performed in Sweden, Prague and many times at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as well as touring nationally. They have won numerous awards at festivals and they performed as part of the RSC Open Stages Project last year. The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award that can be given to a voluntary group, it is the MBE for volunteers and recognises the very valuable contribution made to our society by people who freely give their time to work to help others.
The Deputy Mayor, Margaret Aston and her consort Councillor Adam Aston, attended the presentation along with Lindsay Newton, Chairman of Dudley Arts Council, who nominated the group. Susan Wallin, Artistic Director and founder of Side By Side, said that this award is a major achievement for the group, because it shows how highly the volunteers are valued and recognised nationally. The actors themselves receive many accolades and win many trophies, but this award is for the people who make that possible with their dedicated work behind the scenes.
The company are in the process of expanding to give opportunities to more learning disabled people who want to explore their artistic potential through the performing arts. They hope that this award will encourage more volunteers to join them, there are numerous contributions that people can make and they are particularly looking for people to help with I.T. and promotion.
E mail: [email protected]
The Diamond Award [presented by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall]
A STOURBRDGE WOMAN has received royal recognition for her extraordinary contribution as an older volunteer.
Sue Wallin, aged 68, has been named a Diamond Champion and will attend a prestigious reception at St James’s Palace in London next week (November 29th).
Sue heads up Side by Side Theatre company, a charity which supports adults with learning disabilities. The Diamond Champion Awards was set up by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in conjunction with older people’s charity WRVS. The aim of the awards was to recognise people over the age of 60, who make an extraordinary difference in the community, to the lives of others through their volunteering in the jubilee year. More than 4500 people from across the country were put forward for awards and Sue joined 60 regional finalists from 550 Midlands nominees, to attend a ceremony at the Hyatt Hotel in Birmingham last month. At this event Sue was told that she had been short-listed with 9 other Midlands finalists to attend the St James’s Palace reception. Sue was also presented with a specially designed Diamond Champions pin and a certificate signed by Prince Charles & Camilla. The awards have been supported by celebrities Philip Scholfield, Gloria Hunniford, Patricia Routledge, Kimberley Walsh, Kate Adie, Denise Robertson and Roy Noble, who are also expected to attend the royal reception. In a statement about the awards Their Royal Highnesses said, “We wanted to seek out and celebrate the contribution of the older generation who, often unsung and unnoticed, help to improve life for others in their communities.
Sue’s charity, Side by Side is an independent theatre company which gives learning disabled adults training in the performing arts and the opportunity to work as actors and dancers in a professionally organised group.
Sue is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers, including her husband Derek Lidington who will accompany her to the palace state apartments. Sue started the group in 1997 and has tirelessly volunteered ever since, writing and directing shows, fundraising and organising national and international tours for the award winning company. The group has no regular funding and relies solely on donations, grants, fundraising events and the support of a team of dedicated volunteers who help the group to succeed. The group has performed in Sweden and in Prague and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as well as locally and have scooped a raft of awards along the way.
Andy Gray, Chief Officer from voluntary sector support charity said, "Sue is the pride of Stourbridge who has been honoured locally with a Dudley Mayor's Award nomination and with a Dudley Volunteer Award. I am personally over the moon that she has received this national royal honour, highlighting the important contribution Sue makes as a volunteer to people with learning disabilities in Dudley borough". Although Sue has been recognised as an older volunteer she shows no signs of slowing down. Funding is currently being sought to employ a drama coach and administrator to help the group go from strength to strength and a new friends group is currently being set up. Rehearsals are also underway for new production The Prodigal Son. Extracts from the show will premiere at Dudley Festival in March and the whole will be performed at Stourbridge Town Hall in June
More information can be found about the group by visiting: www.sidebysidetheatrecompanystourbridge.co.uk
STOURBRIDGE THEATRE COMPANY VOLUNTEERS AWARDED THE QUEEN'S AWARD FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICES
Side By Side Theatre Company Stourbridge, were presented with the highest award in the UK, given to voluntary groups, at a High Tea on Sunday, 28th July 2013, which was held at Stourbridge Tennis and Squash Club, Norton, Stourbridge. The Queen’s Deputy Lieutenant, Peter Tomlinson, presented the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service to the volunteers who work with Side By Side, a theatre company of learning disabled actors. The award was an exclusive, engraved commemorative crystal and a certificate signed personally, by the Queen. Over the course of a year 44 volunteers give their time and energy in some way to support the actors, who rehearse twice a week at New Road Methodist Church, Stourbridge. The hours given by the volunteers in the course of a year add up to around 6000.
The company was formed in 1997 and have performed in Sweden, Prague and many times at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as well as touring nationally. They have won numerous awards at festivals and they performed as part of the RSC Open Stages Project last year. The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award that can be given to a voluntary group, it is the MBE for volunteers and recognises the very valuable contribution made to our society by people who freely give their time to work to help others.
The Deputy Mayor, Margaret Aston and her consort Councillor Adam Aston, attended the presentation along with Lindsay Newton, Chairman of Dudley Arts Council, who nominated the group. Susan Wallin, Artistic Director and founder of Side By Side, said that this award is a major achievement for the group, because it shows how highly the volunteers are valued and recognised nationally. The actors themselves receive many accolades and win many trophies, but this award is for the people who make that possible with their dedicated work behind the scenes.
The company are in the process of expanding to give opportunities to more learning disabled people who want to explore their artistic potential through the performing arts. They hope that this award will encourage more volunteers to join them, there are numerous contributions that people can make and they are particularly looking for people to help with I.T. and promotion.
E mail: [email protected]