Community heroes, including two from East Lancashire, have been honoured at this year’s BBC Radio Lancashire Make a Difference Awards.
Among them are a community centre in Burnley which welcomes people from all walks of life, an Accrington cycle scheme, a bereaved mother from Leyland who has raised thousands of pounds for charity and two sisters from Carnforth who care for their army veteran parents.
The idea of the BBC Radio Lancashire Make a Difference Awards is to recognise unsung heroes from across the county, reflecting everything from good neighbours to voluntary work.
Hundreds of entries were whittled down to 32 finalists and the eight winners were announced at the annual ceremony, which this year took place on Saturday 9 September at Chorley Town Hall.
BBC Radio Lancashire’s Breakfast show presenter, Graham Liver, hosted the awards.
Speaking at the event, Graham said: “Each year, I am in awe of the fantastic work carried out by our finalists.
“Each of them are simply amazing in their own way and I’m so pleased that BBC Radio Lancashire has been able to shine a light on their hard work and give them some of the recognition they deserve”.
The BBC’s Controller of Local Audio Commissioning, Chris Burns, said: “The Make a Difference Awards are always an amazing experience, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the individuals who have gone above and beyond to help their communities.
“We always really enjoy hearing the nominees and winners’ stories and sharing them with our listeners. A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate someone and a huge congratulations to our winners.”
The winners are:
The Volunteer Award – Madison Marsden (Blackpool)
14-year-old Madison has overcome adversity to volunteer as a leader at a local youth charity, which is based in one of the country’s most deprived communities.
The Community Group Award - Talkin' Tables (Chorley)
Talkin’ Tables aims to combat loneliness and social isolation by bringing people together for a chat. The group started life in Lancashire and now has nationwide presence.
The Fundraiser Award – Ann Coles (South Ribble)
Ann’s son Andrew died from a sudden cardiac arrest in 1997 aged just 21. Since then, Ann has raised thousands of pounds for cardiac screenings for young people and has saved countless lives.
The Carer Award - Gabriella and Jasmine Tuicicia (Lancaster)
Gabriella and Jasmine – from Carnforth - are young carers who look after their parents. Their mum and dad are army veterans who live with mental health conditions.
The Great Neighbour Award – Dilawar Hussain (South Ribble)
Dilly looks after everyone who lives near his business in Leyland by checking on his neighbours and giving them food and supplies if they need it. He also encourages local businesses to work together.
The Bravery Award – International Search and Rescue Lancashire
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service’s International Search and Rescue team regularly drop everything to travel abroad and help people in need. This year, they spent time in Turkey following the disastrous earthquake.
The Green Award - Active Cycles (Hyndburn)
Active Cycles recycles old bikes and makes them safe, clean and reusable. They are then sold at an affordable price to the local community.
The Together Award - Gannow Community Centre (Burnley)
The doors at Gannow Community Centre are always open to people from all walks of life – who can expect a warm welcome, an affordable meal and support with life’s problems.
To find out more about the awards visit: bbc.co.uk/makeadifference
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