By Lesley Walsh
A TWELVE year-old Bangor boy has been hailed ‘an unsung hero’ by the city’s first citizen.
Freddie McGonagle has become the first person in Ards and North Down to receive the Mayor’s Certificate of Recognition, to honour the boy’s work to make his local environment a better place.
The Mayor says he ‘is keen to recognise the unsung heroes of our Borough, particularly those that work to improve the environment, increase civic pride in their local area and help to look after their own community’.
Councillor Alistair Cathcart has conferred the inaugural certificate on Freddie for his tireless efforts in the Albany area of Bangor where he lives.
“Freddie can be regularly found out and about in the Albany area of Bangor. He cuts grass in public areas, picks up litter and removes dog fouling.”
The child even ‘encouraged the council to erect dog fouling signs in particularly challenging areas’, according to the council.
Freddie also regularly gets involved in charity work, raising money for the likes of St John Ambulance through cake sales.
Mr Cathcart paid tribute to Freddie as an absolute credit to Bangor and the whole of Ards and North Down.
“He takes great pride in his local area and is always thinking of others,” he said. “It is really important to recognise the work that Freddie, and others across the borough, are doing.
“Freddie is a deserving first recipient of my Mayor’s Certificate of Recognition and I hope we will be able to recognise several more over the coming months.”
If anyone knows of any individual who works hard to improve the environment and increase civic pride in their local area, email nominations@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk with their name, location and contact details, together with information about the work they carry out in the Borough.
