On Thursday 16 October 2025 Mole Valley District Council and invited community guests joined together for the first ever Sustainable Mole Valley awards ceremony, at Pippbrook House in Dorking.
Designed to celebrate the successes of the unsung heroes that are driving forward sustainability across Mole Valley, the awards ceremony showcased the incredible work taking place by individuals, businesses and community groups in their aims of combatting climate change, acting sustainably, and restoring biodiversity.
After being welcomed into the grand foyer of Pippbrook House with live music from acoustic chamber music quartet ‘Souleadi’, the invited guests filled the newly restored Ballroom, for the main awards presentation, hosted by Cllr Claire Malcomson in true awards style.
The winners of this year’s Sustainable Mole Valley awards are:
- Food & Drink – Mid Surrey Community Fridges
Stocked with donations from supermarkets, the Community Fridge offers everything from bread and pastries to ripe fruit and vegetables. Anyone can take what they need, helping to prevent good food from going to landfill whilst supporting those who need it most. - Nature & Biodiversity – Bookham & Fetcham Blue Hearts Wildflowers Verges
This community-led project is transforming roadside verges into vibrant wildflower habitats. Marked by distinctive blue hearts, these spaces support pollinators and add bursts of colour to everyday journeys. - Shopping – Putty Cakes
Putty Cakes has become a true hub of kindness and community. From ‘Hanging Coffees’ and lunches that allow customers to pay forward a treat for someone in need, to running a free weekly ‘Bill Clinic’ to help residents manage utilities and household costs — their work is a testament to generosity and care. - Waste & Recycling – Dorking Repair Café
Repair Cafés are part of a quiet revolution sweeping across communities, inviting people to slow down, learn together and fix what’s broken. It’s not just about saving objects, it’s about building a culture of care and connection. - Travel & Transport – Leatherhead Junior ParkRun
Encouraging active travel from a very young age, this free, fun, and friendly weekly 2km event has been helping children build healthy habits and confidence for over six years. It regularly attracts over 100 young runners and is a brilliant way for children to get moving and connect with their local community. - Energy – Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall not only installed solar panels but used the moment as an opportunity to feed into a much wider campaign about energy, the environmental and climate change. - Leading the Way Youth – Leatherhead Youth Project
The Leatherhead Youth Project is rooted in the belief that every young person deserves the chance to feel safe, be heard, and make a positive impact, nurturing both the planet and the people. Young participants gain practical skills, fresh perspectives, and a sense of ownership over their environment. They learn the value of reuse, biodiversity, and waste reduction, all while building confidence and leadership. - Leading the Way – Circular Dorking
Circular Dorking is a network of businesses, groups and individuals who are working together as volunteers to strengthen the community, by creating a local circular economy. Their work allows us all to become better placed to support each other, and deal with the challenges of climate change and future uncertainty.
Councillor Claire Malcomson, MVDC’s Cabinet Member for Climate, said: “The first ever Sustainable Mole Valley Awards was a really positive evening of community celebration.From community gardeners and litter-pickers to active travel campaigns and educational campaigners empowering the next generation, it was truly inspiring to hear the stories and feel the genuine support for each other.
“Congratulations to all our winners, but I also want to recognise all nominees for their meaningful contributions. As one of our guests said on the night, ‘everyone’s a winner!’
“The occasion also provided us with an opportunity to re-commit to the cause of improving sustainability across Mole Valley, and I look forward to following the progress of all our fabulous changemakers.”
Wendy Saunders, Circular Dorking, said: “A big thank you for the lovely Awards evening you arranged last week. It was so inspiring to meet with so many organisations. Many of course we knew but also many off our radar. As you can imagine Circular Dorking was ‘well chuffed!’ to receive the Leading the Way award.”
Hope Bancroft, Community Youth Worker, Leatherhead Youth Project, said: “We are delighted that Leatherhead Youth Project received the Leading the Way Youth award for our ‘Making Good’ Project. It was inspiring to hear the different ways organisations are championing sustainability to support their local communities.”
