On Tuesday 9 May 2017, Torbay Council unanimously passed a resolution to confer the Honorary Freedom of the Borough upon Mrs Lynne Hookings under Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972.

Mrs Hookings was granted this in recognition and appreciation of her contribution to the tourism industry within Torbay and her unceasing voluntary work for the NHS and Torbay Hospital League of Friends.

Torbay’s Elected Mayor, Gordon Oliver, said: “I am delighted for us to be able to award this to Mrs Hookings. Her contributions to our local community and tourism are highly commendable and appreciated.”

Torbay’s former Chairman, Councillor Ray Hill, said: "As my last official function as Chairman and first citizen, it was a great honour for me to perform the Honorary Freeman-ship ceremony service on a very worthy person. I have known Lynn for a number of years but was astonished just how much she had done for the Bay."

The ceremony was held to confer the honour upon the Freemen Elect at the Riviera International Conference centre where a number of Mrs Hooking’s family and Councillors attended to witness the occasion.

Sir Richard Ibbotson, Chairman at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are thrilled that Lynne’s dedication and support to the people of South Devon has been recognised in this way. Lynne and her husband Michael have been champions and enormously successful advocates of Torbay Hospital’s League of Friends for a long time, and the benefits from the League's truly remarkable efforts can be seen across the breadth of Hospital activity.

“She is also an active and staunch Governor of the Trust, where her input provides real added value to what we do. Given this selfless contribution, along with the plethora of other activities she has provided to our area over many years, this accolade is very well deserved. We were honoured to accept the Council invitation to Chief Executive and myself to attend the installation ceremony, to play tribute to Lynne’s very special contribution to the Trust.”

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