Snow hero winner revealed

As the worst winter for decades finally loses its bite (hopefully) the Royal Society of Chemistry can name the winner of the Snow Heroes competition it ran in January.

Eastbourne care support worker Pamela Arnold has been named as winner.

In the competition the RSC was commemorating the centenary of the start of the great, and tragic, Antarctica scientific expedition mounted by the ill-fated Captain Scott.

The RSC sought somebody whose grit and determination echoed that of Scott and his men in the ice and snow to and from the South Pole.

Announced during the depth of the winter snow storms in the UK, the competition also sought to find people who had demonstrated generosity to others despite their own travails.

There were many entries and the judging was particularly difficult because so many people had demonstrated practical kindness to others. 

The nomination for Pamela is below:

"I would like to nominate a remarkable woman Pamela Arnold for the cherry prize. 

"I believe that she has shown the determination, selflessness and spirit that only a few people ever do. Pamela works as a care support worker visiting the elderly and those who cannot fully look after them selves in their homes and as such covers a great distance each day relying heavily on her car to meet the tight deadlines between jobs. 

"Eastbourne was hit with a good amount of snow and like many other places ground to a halt almost immediately. 

"In the morning she discovered that her car had been completely snowed in with no way of freeing it. However, unlike many of the other people at her same employer she soldiered on, walking her entire client round covering in excess of 15 miles and finishing work at gone 11pm. 

"This in its self I find remarkable but the fact that she has had a number of knee operations in recent years and was only just signed back to work after having a wrist operation two weeks pervious, this same routine has now been repeated till present as the car is still immovable even working her days off to cover for those who did not feel they could work. 

"The most moving thing and the real reason for writing is down to one particular  incident that occurred on Thursday evening.  

"She had taken an extra call to visit an elderly gentleman who lived down a street on the top of a steep hill, where no one else would venture deeming it too hazardous. Such is her compassion that she attended and thankfully she did as immediately after arriving she phoned 999 for an ambulance, so server was this man's chest infection that, had he gone unattended and been left one more day opinion is that he would not be here today. 

"This is her job, however as a private care worker she is only paid for the time in attendance. From an average visit that will take her 30+ minutes to walk to she can only stay for 15 minutes before she has to set off again to the next visit she may earn £3. I asked her why she does it when given the adversity and pointless pay she could easily like others not do it she replied because if she does not then who will. 

"Such is her compassion and selflessness I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award."