Joan Walley awarded Freedom of Kidsgrove

Joan Walley was awarded with the Freedom of Kidsgrove on December 12th in recognition of her dedicated service to the area. In a special ceremony Councillors gave the honour for the first time in the Town’s history, with Mayor David Allport and Deputy Mayor Sylvia Dymond in attendance, and Cllr Kyle Robinson as master of ceremonies introducing performances from the University Academy of Kidsgrove’s Choir and from the Tamil Dancers of the Tamil School of Stoke-on-Trent, depicting the need to support cancer sufferers and their families. Accepting the Freedom, Joan paid tribute to those who had supported her to represent the area from 1987-1997 and again from 2010 onwards, with special recognition for the late miner’s leader, John Lockett. Speaking after the event, Joan said; “I am honoured and proud to have been awarded the Freedom of Kidsgrove and would like to thank the members of the Town Council and all of those from this wonderful community who have supported me. “The coming together of so many different groups in our Town shows the strength of civic society and our joint commitment to working together to safeguard out future.”