Bedale town mayor Mandi Coates presented citations from the authority to "unsung heroes" Colin and Sheila Tipton at the annual meeting in the Drawing Room of Bedale Hall.

She said: "It is great to be able to recognise the hard work and dedication of volunteers in Bedale, the unsung heros and to celebrate the work they do for others."

SHEILA TIPTON: Sheila was born in Perth in Scotland and started her career at Darlington Structural Linings, Taylor Woodrow and the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, where she met her future husband Colin. She moved to Bedale to work in Bedale Garage when the premises were on the Market Place where The Greengrocer is now.

She served the community as a special police constable for many years and for the last 30 years, she has been heavily involved with the Bedale Sports Club and Community Centre. She has been treasurer for many years, a voluntary role she continues to perform with great excellence. She also organises the annual fund-raising 100 club, managed the Crowdfunding money for the Adrian Grayson Function Room, and collates all the social bookings for the diary. Her selfless dedication to working for others, is exemplary.

COLIN TIPTON: Colin was born in Newcastle where he was an altar boy, and worked for his father at Tipton & Morley Garage in Barnard Castle, before taking over Bedale Garage in the Market Place in 1974. He has been a playing member of the Bedale Squash and Racketball Club and is still a very active playing member at Bedale Golf Club and a founder member of the Thursday Walking Group.

It is at the Bedale Sports Club and Community Centre where Colin has shown unbelievable voluntary commitment as chairman for many years showing great leadership and vision. He relinquished the chairmanship to Martyn Coombs about four years ago and now concentrates on making sure the bar operates successfully.

He is at the club almost every day checking stock levels, sorting the heating, collecting the bar takings and generally making sure everything is functioning correctly. Colin is also the essential go-to, odd job man for anything that needs doing around the site using his excellent DIY skills for the benefit of everyone else. The iconic global motto "service before self" best describes Colin’s commitment to the community.