A TEENAGER from Great Sankey says she’s “really happy and quite surprised” to be named the Neighbour of the Year by The Telegraph.
As reported in the Warrington Guardian earlier this week, Katie Forrest, 15, teaches her neighbours a new dance every day at 11am.
Having fought off competition from up and down the country, Katie added: “Everyone has been doing their bit [in lockdown], but it’s just really nice to have won it.
Mum Sue, 46, says the family is “dead proud” of Katie, and she thinks it’s “really, really lovely that she’s still doing it with a smile every day”.
The Forrests first learned of the results on Tuesday and had to hide their celebrations from the neighbours throughout the week.
The good news has also helped to keep Katie’s dances going, with song requests flooding in, even as some lockdown restrictions are eased.
To celebrate, tomorrow Katie will dance to The Nolan Sisters’ ‘I’m In The Mood For Dancing’ – a favourite of Sue’s.
We are incredibly proud to share that Katie Forrest from @warringtongym has been voted Britain's Best Neighbour in the @Telegraph Lockdown Awards! A truly inspirational story 👏🌈https://t.co/qCRXTXF5aw
— British Gymnastics (@BritGymnastics) May 29, 2020
Some of Katie’s biggest supporters have been the Warrington Gymnastics Club, with the Great Sankey student saying the club is “like my other family”.
She continued: “It’s a nice place to go and forget about everything else you have on.
“It’s a lovely place to be.”
That element of escapism helps Katie through a hectic schedule, which includes fundraising for her younger sister Lucie, who suffers from ME – also called chronic fatigue syndrome.
Usually, the family attends the Millions Missing event in Manchester every year, which sees participants place a pair of shoes in Piccadilly Gardens – symbolising how different the lives of those with the condition are.
This year, with the annual event cancelled due to Covid-19, their neighbours each placed a pair of shoes on the Forrests' driveway.
Katie then led a marathon 10-song session for 45 minutes, with donations collected for the Smile for ME charity.
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