The best of Devon honoured at awards ceremony

A therapy alpaca, a rowing captain and a men's mental health group which was developed around the making of artisan pizzas, have all been celebrated at a special ceremony in Devon.

The winners of the BBC Radio Devon Make a Difference Awards 2026 were announced in Buckfast Abbey on Thursday.

The awards, which are in their fifth year, recognise and celebrate the unsung people and groups who make a difference in their communities across the county.

A total of 32 finalists were chosen across eight categories including environmental, fundraiser and great neighbour.

Dylan, 13, won the Young Hero award. He has been making food parcels for the homeless in Torbay since he was eight.

He said: "It gives me the sense that I'm doing something to make the world slightly better because I'm helping people live.

"I have one belief and that's no one should starve, no one should feel the pain of being hungry."

He said he never thought he would win the award and "it was really emotional" for him.

"I think everyone should have won the award all at the same time," he said.

He said the award would be going on a shelf "far out of reach" because he didn't want it to break.

The Dough Bros, a men's mental health group in Totnes which uses making pizza to start conversations about mental health, took home the award for the community category.

Hosted by Resilient Lives CIC, the peer-led support programme brings men together in a relaxed environment where there is no pressure to talk, but plenty of opportunity to connect.

Silver Levy-So, from Resilient Lives, said: "I'm still shaking a little bit because I think, especially with what we do as a group for men, a lot of these men, including myself, struggle with anxiety, struggle with certain neurodivergence or social difficulties.

"It's just mad that we're here when what we usually do is just sit inside a little woodland on the edge of town around a fire, eating pizza."

He said: "I think we're all here for the same... reasons, I mean it's making a difference to the community."

The Environmental Award went to Sustainable Hatherleigh, which runs a range of projects to support the community, from leading bug hunts and encouraging wildflowers and biodiversity in the local graveyard, to community composting and running a repair café.

Jo Pullin from the organisation said she was "absolutely delighted".

She said: "It just shines a light on everything the volunteers do.

"We run so many different projects and people really come together to help and support each other [to] make those projects happen."

She added that "really this award is for everybody".

The winner in the Animal category was Thunderball, a therapy alpaca who visits care homes, hospital wards and schools.

His co-owner Sam Norman described him as "naturally gentle and caring around people".

Sam said: "I think it just shows the importance of animals and helping people and making them at ease and just, for some of them, the memories it brings back as well, particularly those with dementia or Alzheimer's.

"He's just a natural with people, from when he was little you could tell that he was just up for going to see people, having a cuddle and just brightening people's lives."

The winner of the Volunteer Award, Heather Rayne, from Tavistock, has worked at the Tavistock Memory Café helping those living with dementia for over 19 years.

She said: "We provide social activities for those that have the illness and give them a sense of normality.

"It's just so wonderful to promote what memory cafes do across the county because these days there's very little support for people living with dementia, so the more we can do the better."

Sophie Conbeer, a rowing captain who makes her sport inclusive for everyone, has taken home the award for the active category.

She is an amputee who took up rowing six weeks before her surgery and continued afterwards thanks to a rowing prosthesis.

With funding from the charity Love Rowing, the club now has adaptive seating, which enables anyone to get involved.

She said winning the award was "inspiring" and "amazing" and described the ceremony as "hugely awe-inspiring".

"I'm an advocate for the sport and I'm proud of what I do and I love a challenge but knowing that other people can see that too, it's really humbling," she said.

Donna Gibbins, the secret elf behind the doorstep deliveries of gifts and support, has won the Great Neighbour category.

"It started off with one gift on one doorstep... it made me happy to see other people happy," she said.

Donna's daughter Trinity Blundell said: "She doesn't take enough recognition for what she does.

"She does it to help people and for happiness and when you tell her just how special she is, she doesn't ever believe it."

"I just felt like she deserves it," Blundell said.

The winner of the Fundraiser Award was Paul Maxwell, who has been running marathons to support mental health and nursing charities following the murder of his partner, Claire Chick.

The 48-year-old was found seriously injured in West Hoe Road on the evening of 22 January 2025 and died later in hospital.

Maxwell aims to run 100 half marathons in 50 weeks.

"We want to keep her legacy going; both for Claire and everything she stood for," he said.

He said he was among some "incredibly inspiring and beautiful humans in this category" and he was "greatly honoured to be recognised".

He added: "I've got an amazing group of people that run with me and together we're raising money and we've just managed to get the Claire Chick Nursing Fund actually confirmed with the university."

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