Meet our Judges
Published On: November 3, 2023

Celebrate our Heritage, Culture, Spirit with us!

We are honoured to welcome our three esteemed judges who embody and champion the independent spirit that helps to make Dorking a wonderful place to visit, live, work, and enjoy. Our judges are experts in public policy, social entrepreneurship, media and PR.

Join us in celebrating the heart of Dorking – our wonderful community!

The BID Community Spirit Awards celebrate the independent spirit that helps to make Dorking a wonderful place to visit, live, work, and enjoy. On the first weekend in December, we are celebrating Dorking – join us. On Saturday 2 December, we invite you to Shop Local and join our Small Business Saturday campaign and on 3 December we are pedestrianising Dorking High Street, South Street, West Street in a Very Dorkensian Christmas! 

As part of our celebration of all things Dorking, we are honouring three Dorkinians who have made a significant impact on our community.

Entering our awards programme is easy.

Nominate yourself or someone who inspires you. Entries close at midnight on 3rd November 2023.

Judging is based on criteria aligned to the awards and is outlined for each category below. All judging will be completed by the middle of November 2023. Finalists will be invited to the Very Dorkensian Chrismas Festival and award recipients will be announced live on social media and at the event at 3pm on stage.

Meet our Judges

Mark-Carter-Judge
Clare-Davies-Judge-
Wendy-Varcoe-Judge

Mark Carter

Deputy Managing Editor (BBC South and South East) and Presenter (BBC Radio Surrey)

Mark Carter has twenty-five years of experience as a presenter, journalist and producer. Mark is currently the Acting Executive Editor of BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey and is one of the most recognisable voices in the area, as a presenter on both stations. Mark is in demand as an events host, from awards ceremonies to political debates. In December 2019, Mark took the lead role in his first professional pantomime. Mark lives in Surrey and was the founder of Surrey Day, an annual celebration of life in the county.

Clare Davies

Life Coach and Winner of our BID DorKing Coronation Volunteer of the Year

Clare Davies is an Intuitive Life Coach, mother of three, successful entrepreneur, keen sailor and general lover of life.

Clare is passionate about many things in life and loves finding the root of a problem and solving it (she also loves a crossword!), so becoming a life coach was inevitable, as she has been coaching people all her life.

In 2017, Clare co-founded The Dorking Community Fridge which went on to become Mid Surrey Community Fridges CIC, saving over 1000 tonnes of good food from being wasted by the commercial food industry. During lockdown, MSCF delivered vital food parcels to vulnerable Dorking residents and became a life-line for many, including NHS workers and the elderly and isolated. As a result, MSCF was honoured to receive the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service; the MBE for charitable organisations.

Wendy Varcoe

Executive Director Surrey Hills Enterprises

Wendy has over 20 years’ of experience working within land regeneration, environmental improvements and conservation including working for the first Groundwork Trust in St Helens and in West London and central London regenerating London’s Canals.

Over the last 20 years Wendy’s work has focused on supporting local communities in Surrey, developing partnership projects and building community funds across all areas of community need.

Wendy was the Founding Director for the Community Foundation for Surrey and became its first Executive Director. In this time she has overseen the development of substantial new philanthropic funds to support community needs across Surrey. In total over £18 million has been secured for local communities since the Community Foundation was established in 2005. Wendy was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for 2016 to recognise her dedication and hard work in supporting local communities in Surrey.

In 2017, Wendy moved from the Community Foundation for Surrey to take up the role of Executive Director at Surrey Hills Enterprises to support the development of the rural economy and to protect and enhance the Surrey Hills.

Meet our Judges

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