The Janet Alty Award for Tenacious Campaigning is an annual honour presented to a member of the Warwick District Green Party who has shown outstanding determination in driving positive change. This award is named in loving memory of the late Janet Alty, whose dedication and spirit continues to inspire us all.
Our Winner for 2024 – Juliet Nickels
Many of us knew Janet from her work on the town council, and her work with local residents, where she knew people and where she worked & campaigned to make lives better here in Leamington. Janet knew the importance of the personal and would fight hard for a bus route, for improvements to housing, for safety in crossing the road, for a green recreational space.
But Janet also campaigned nationally, and she helped shape Green Party policies. Her children remember her spending hours on the phone debating policy and this is one of the reasons we selected Juliet Nickels for the award.
Juliet Nickels was involved in drafting an evidence-based Covid-19 policy for the Green Party, and setting up the Covid-19 Campaign Working Group, and in producing campaign resources. She helped position the Green Party as a potential leader in pandemic response, increasing its credibility. Juliet persisted with her work, despite opposition. There is a breadth & depth of involvement from both experts & grassroot members, which underscores Juliet’s ability to inspire and mobilise people.
Nominations
It was hard to make a decision about the winner – we have a lot of fantastic volunteers who work away quietly in the background and who deserve recognition.
- Mihaela Burcan has worked with people in her ward, and she has been a voice for people who are not heard. She’s had some local campaign successes which Janet would have loved – Janet was campaigning about solar panels 30 years ago, and would have been delighted with Mihaela’s success in getting the council to put up solar panels.
- Wendy Edwards has a very ‘Janet-like’ approach to canvasing, door-knocking and practical work in the ward. She is a brilliant encourager of others, and works quietly in the background to support the team and to organise events such as the annual gathering.
- Savita Lekhi has campaigned in her local neighbourhood, and in her ward, to make a difference locally. Janet would have loved her campaigning for the local environment and for the green space around Wych Elm Park & Arboretum.
- Joe Rukin has campaigned for more than ten years to Stop HS2 – fighting significant opposition all the way. He’s fought his cause locally and nationally. Janet knew what it was like to be the only person fighting a cause, handing out leaflets when everyone else was oblivious. She would have approved of Joe and his highly tenacious campaign.
- Nick Wilkins was nominated for his ongoing & consistent work with people in the neighbourhood and in the wider community. He works directly with people – and Janet loved his personal touch.
- Hema Yellapragada has campaigned for services for local people here in Leamington – convincing Royal Mail to setup a new postbox, and getting Warwick County Council to run the 62 bus to Myton Green. These are changes which may sound small, but make a big difference to people’s day-to-day living and which don’t happen without persistence, grit & determination.