THIS is the category which celebrates a lifetime of experience in the educational sector. It recognises one special person who has helped pupils, teachers or other members of the team reach their potential.

Previous winners have included teachers and head teachers who have recently retired or are approaching the end of their career.

Each of our previous winners has embodied leadership, enthusiasm and commitment in a lifetime’s work dedicated to encouraging those around them to achieve their very best. In turn, they will have had a positive impact on thousands of East Lancashire residents – pupils, parents and colleagues.

Last year’s winner was Trish Burns, assistant head teacher at Peel Park Primary in Accrin-gton where she had spent most of her 35-year career.

“It’s the love of my life, alongside my husband. There’s never a day when I don’t want to come to work!” she told us last year. And it’s that sort of dedication we want to celebrate again this year.

“Lancashire is proud of its outstanding education, and rightly so. Throughout the North West, young people are being pushed to achieve their potential and supported so they can reach their goals by schools, Colleges and Sixth Forms, teachers, tutors and support staff who nurture their talents,” said a spokesman for Burnley College, which is sponsoring the category.

“Burnley College Sixth Form Centre is passionate about the success of our students. From application to progression, Burnley College Sixth Form Centre students are offered outstanding individualised support to help them gain high results, within the welcoming environment of our high-specification purpose-built Princess Way campus.

“Extra-curricular activities and volunteering opportunities ensure our students build real-life skills to complement academic ability.

“We push our students to achieve not just academically, but in all aspects of their lives. We encourage them to grow into well-rounded individuals.

“This is why the Lifetime Achievement category is so important to us.

“Those nominated within this esteemed Lifetime Achievement category have proven that education is much more than the sum of its parts. From excellent classroom engagement to phenomenal extra-curricular opportunities; solid individual support and a nurturing, encouraging environment conducive to quality learning and consistently high results, the winner of this category has gone to incredible lengths to ensure the success of their pupils and students. We’re extremely proud to be able to reward a lifetime of endeavour with this highly prestigious award.”

So if you know of someone who has had a lasting impact in their chosen role we want you to get in touch with as much detail as possible as this is always a very popular and hard-fought category to win – after all, this is about a lifetime’s work in education.