Barry Snowdon
Encyclopedia
Barry Snowdon is a British
street sweeper
employed by Mansfield District Council
working in Market Warsop, Nottinghamshire
, England
. In 2007 and 2008, he performed two acts of heroism that resulted in national recognition, culminating in a Local Government Council Worker of the Year Award in 2008 and a Reach Out Award for Bravery in 2009.
(Notts), after after local chiropodist Maxine Kimberley had her handbag stolen. He chased after the thief, holding him down until the police arrived and returning the handbag to its grateful owner in the process.
from the garage forecourt, and successfully fought the flames single-handedly, sustaining burns to his arms in the process.
At the time he said "I could see the lorry was in danger of exploding and just did what anyone would have done – my instincts were to get the fire out as quickly as possible."
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
street sweeper
Street sweeper
A street sweeper or street cleaner can refer to a person's occupation or a machine that cleans streets, usually in an urban area.-History of street sweeping in the United States:...
employed by Mansfield District Council
Mansfield (district)
Mansfield is a local government district in Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 UK census, its population was 98,181.Unlike most English districts, its council is led by a directly elected mayor, currently Tony Egginton, an independent...
working in Market Warsop, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In 2007 and 2008, he performed two acts of heroism that resulted in national recognition, culminating in a Local Government Council Worker of the Year Award in 2008 and a Reach Out Award for Bravery in 2009.
Heroism
Barry Snowdon was shortlisted in the Bravery category of the Local Government Council Worker of the Year Awards after carrying out two acts of outstanding bravery while out on his rounds.2007
In March 2007, Snowdon chased and caught a thief in WarsopWarsop
Warsop is a civil parish in the District of Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, England, located on the outskirts of Sherwood Forest. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 12,365....
(Notts), after after local chiropodist Maxine Kimberley had her handbag stolen. He chased after the thief, holding him down until the police arrived and returning the handbag to its grateful owner in the process.
2008
In summer 2008, when carrying out his normal rounds, Barry saw a private highways truck containing high-pressure gas bottles and other highly flammable items on fire only yards away from the BP petrol station on Sherwood Street in Warsop. Snowdon ran to the rescue, grabbing a fire extinguisherFire extinguisher
A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
from the garage forecourt, and successfully fought the flames single-handedly, sustaining burns to his arms in the process.
At the time he said "I could see the lorry was in danger of exploding and just did what anyone would have done – my instincts were to get the fire out as quickly as possible."
Recogniton
- 2007, commended for service beyond the call of duty.
- 2008, awarded a commendation by Mansfield mayor Tony Egginton.
- 2008, received Warsop Parish Council award in recognition of hard work and dedication.
- 2008, nominated for a BBC RadioBBC RadioBBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
Reach Out Award.- Snowdon was supported in his campaign, by among others, television star Noel EdmondsNoel EdmondsNoel Ernest Edmonds, is an English broadcaster and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, The Late, Late Breakfast Show, Telly Addicts, Noel's Saturday...
, who stated "Barry is a fantastic inspiration for everyone who believes that if we are to improve British society we must all take unselfish action and display a greater respect and responsibility for each other". BassetlawBassetlawBassetlaw is the northernmost district of Nottinghamshire, England, with a population according to the 2001 UK census of 107,713. The borough is predominantly rural, with two towns: Worksop, site of the borough offices, and Retford...
Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
John MannJohn Mann (politician)John Mann is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Bassetlaw since 2001, after the retirement of previous MP Joe Ashton.John Mann serves on the Treasury Select Committee...
also supported Snowdon's nomination, and has stated "Every city, town and village needs a super hero and Warsop are lucky to have Barry Snowdon. On two occasions he has put himself at huge risk to help other people".
- Snowdon was supported in his campaign, by among others, television star Noel Edmonds
- 2009, given a surprise award live on national television, with recognition by Noel Edmonds and Sky OneSky OneSky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
. When invited to be in the audience, Snowdon and his wife were surprised on the national television show Noel's HQ when he was awarded with an all expenses paid holiday to Orlando, FloridaOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
and free passes to the Disney World theme parkWalt Disney World ResortWalt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
.
- 2009, won the national Local Government Council Worker of the Year award as the bravest council worker in the country, as announced at the end of the LGA'sLocal Government AssociationThe Local Government Association is a voluntary lobbying organisation acting as the voice of the local government sector in England and Wales, which seeks to be an authoritative and effective advocate on its behalf....
annual conference, beating out three other finalists in category of bravest.