11:40am Thursday 2nd September 2010
By Jasmin McDermott
A GRANDFATHER has been crowned citizen of the year – for raising more than £20,000 for disabled children by tempting residents with jars of homemade treats.
Retired aircraft engineer Sam Quelch was named Great Wakering Citizen of the Year by the parish council, after spending more than a decade raising cash for disabled children, including his 22-year-old grandson Tom Burroughs, who suffers from cerebral palsy.
The 80-year-old, of the High Street, Great Wakering, has been making jams, marmalades, chutneys and pickled onions from locally-picked produce since his wife taught him 12 years ago.
His tasty preserves and pickles have been a huge success.
In one year, Mr Quelch sold more than 620 jars of pickled onions and won an award for his pink grapefruit marmalade.
Mr Quelch, who suffered from a stroke six years ago, said: “It is really nice to receive this recognition for what I do.
“It has developed as a hobby over the years and it keeps me busy which is good.”
“I experiment with making all different types of marmalade, including lemon and ginger as well as pink grapefruit, and I generally make around 20 to 30 jars a week.
“I just leave the produce on a table outside my house, and then people who want to buy them just post the money through the door.
“Over the years more and more people have come to buy the jars and I split all the money raised between the two local schools for special needs development as well as giving some to my grandson, who uses it to pay for physiotherapy sessions.”
The father-of-six, who celebrates 60 years of marriage to wife Betty next year, will receive his award at Great Wakering council offices, on September 8.
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