Anne Stamp of Snappy Trust celebrated by YO1 and First Bus

Anne Stamp, who has worked for the Snappy Trust for almost 30 years, was honoured last Friday (September 27) in a ceremony that saw a bus named after her.

The competition, which was run by YO1 Radio and First Bus, asked people to write in with the names of people they felt made a substantial contribution to York. Also celebrated was John McGall, who runs the 'I am Reusable' food bank in Leeman Road, York.

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Anne’s nominee shared their reasons for nominating her, saying: “Anne's dedication to our community over the past 29 years is unparalleled, and her voluntary contributions have profoundly impacted the lives of disabled children and their families.

“Anne has been the heart and soul of The Snappy Trust, tirelessly managing and organising play provisions and excursions for disabled children together with trusted team. She consistently goes the extra mile to support each child’s development - she doesn’t just see the children she works with - she sees their potential, their unique needs, and their individual stories.

“Her efforts to build relationships with entire families provide much-needed respite and create a network of support that is invaluable to those she helps.”

Celebrations with YO1 and the Snappy crocodile as Anne sees her bus (Image: Provided) As the bus arrived, Anne said that she was completely shocked – having popped out of the office to meet who she believed was a surprise person.

She said: “I’m not sure to how to feel – its part amused, because it’s so quirky, and part absolutely honoured. It certainly brightened my day, but I hope it makes people look beneath the quirkiness and the award and look at what actually is going on.

“The team and I work very very hard for over 300 families for people with disabilities and the way these families are struggling and the way we do our bit to help. What it’s done for me is lifted the spotlight onto Snappy and all the good things in York. That’s what I was trying to cling on as I was sat on the bus thinking what I am I doing here.

“Snappy reaches its 40th birthday on the first of June next. You can’t imagine how proud I am for a local charity with no designated funding to reach this milestone. Certainly, in the current climate, that’s very unusual for a charity and I couldn’t be prouder.

Anne gets photographed next to a sign that describes her work (Image: Provided) “People are sad, people are fed up, people don’t have enough money, everybody is striving for everything and getting nothing, and people sometimes need to be reminded that there’s more good happening here than anything else.”

She also expressed delight in the fact children could spot her bus, saying that she had already received texts from people out bus spotting.

John Roxburgh, head of operations for First Bus in North & West Yorkshire, said: “First York is serving communities across the city and we understand the important role individuals and groups also play in supporting their local area.

“We wanted to help celebrate the people and organisations who bring communities to life and provide valuable services and that’s why we launched this bus naming campaign. It’s been great to hear from local residents about who they believe should be recognised for the contribution they make to the community.

Well done Anne! (Image: Provided) “Today, we’re revealing the first two people whose names will now appear on our electric buses and be seen on their local routes and throughout York. There will be more community heroes announced in the coming weeks.

“YO1 Radio has been a fabulous partner in getting the message into communities and encouraging local people to nominate their champions.”

Wayne Chadwick, managing director of YO1 Radio, said: “We received literally hundreds of nominations from listeners for what is a truly special gesture on the part of First Bus to recognise those making a real difference in our community.

“The two winners were very worthy recipients and we’ve been delighted to work with the team from First Bus throughout the competition. Today was a very special day for all involved.”