Taking inspiration from our sister paper the Northants Telegraph, we are looking back at the individuals and groups who made a real difference in Northampton in 2023.
We have picked 10 of the many who go above and beyond to make the town a better place, yet often go unrecognised for their hard work.
Here at the Chronicle & Echo, we have been proud to tell their stories over the past year – raising awareness of the impact they have had on the community.
From people dedicating months to invaluable charity fundraisers, to those creating conversations around important topics like domestic violence, littering and supporting independent businesses, they have all made a difference to the lives of others.
We look forward to continuing to share stories like these in 2024 and if you have a tale to tell, email [email protected].
5. JAM Fundraising Group
Fundraising trio JAM, founded by Julia Harris, Ann Brebner and Mandy Lagden, have raised almost £20,000 for local causes. They started raising money ahead of the pandemic and have not looked back since. Their latest endeavour in 2023, which was the second annual ‘JAMathon’, raised £4,500 across three months for three charities. Not only did they complete their JAMathon in the latter part of the year, but they also visited charities to help their communities in the run up to Christmas. Photo: JAM Fundraising Group
6. Northants Litter Wombles
The well-respected Northants Litter Wombles had a successful 2023, accumulating a total of 3,600 members heading into the new year. The past 12 months saw the development of their CLEAN education programme, which stands for ‘Creating Litter Education and Awareness in Northamptonshire’. The Litter Wombles visited 65 schools last year and delivered talks to 17,000 students across the county. The group’s founder, Nicola Elliott, also won an award. Photo: Northants Litter Wombles
7. Vanessa Anderson from Indi Local
Vanessa spent 2023 working on a groundbreaking and unique app, which will make finding pop-up events and street food vendors easier for people across the county and beyond. Indi Local is what the Northampton community needed and has already received lots of praise for what it has done for businesses – and the app hasn’t even been launched yet. 2024 is set to be a big year for Vanessa and Indi Local. Photo: Vanessa Anderson
8. Caroline Strawson
Caroline had her house repossessed 10 years ago and was left with £70,000 worth of debt from financial abuse, which left her with nothing. Now, she is an award-winning trauma therapist, coach, entrepreneur, podcaster and best-selling author. Caroline’s core passion is supporting female survivors of abuse and she held a Christmas party for them to come together in Northampton and celebrate how far they have all come. Photo: Abby Cohen