RICHARD Lloyd, High Sheriff of Somerset, held a lunch to bring together all the recipients of High Sheriff Awards during his year in office.

These awards for “great and valuable services to the community” were originally presented last autumn at three separate buffet lunches at his home.

The seven winners were.

*Dennis Oakes, for 52 years’ outstanding service with the South West Ambulance NHS Trust, 30 of them as a paramedic.

*PCSO Linda Ebdon, for her role with Halcon One, a multi-agency team based in Halcon, Taunton, where she helped set up and run Link Power, the voluntary community-based workforce which addresses training and work experience locally.

*Alastair Mullineux for assisting others during last year’s flooding on the Somerset Levels, including acting as spokesman for Muchelney, which was cut off for weeks.

*John Angus for his contribution to the Wellington Twinning Association, serving as a churchwarden and with the Royal British Legion, as well as driving the minibus transporting stroke sufferers.

*Anne Fouracre, a volunteer at Conquest Riding Centre for the Disabled, in Norton Fitzwarren, for 14 years.

*Justin Sargent, chief executive of Somerset Community Foundation, for his Surviving Winter campaign to keep vulnerable people warm during the coldest months and for setting up a flood relief fund, which raised over £.13million.

*Lesley Thomas, manager of Priorswood Community Centre, Taunton, whose ‘Pride in Prioswood’ initiative has helped bind the community together.