Eight local community heroes were honoured at this year’s BBC Radio Leicester Make a Difference awards in a glamorous ceremony held at Winstanley House.
For the third year running BBC Local has received a record number of entries and nominations for the awards; celebrating ordinary people and, for the first time, animals doing extraordinary things in their communities.
This year’s winners were presented with their accolades at the special Make a Difference Awards ceremony hosted by BBC Radio’s Leicester’s Ady Dayman and Kelly Hinch last Saturday (September 5).
The aim of the awards is to shine a light on the everyday, unsung heroes who go that extra mile for others in their own community. From the thousands of nominations, a shortlist was drawn up and a winner chosen by a special panel of judges from the local region.
In total. there are eight awards categories, and the winners were:
Bobby Singh Khuman – Volunteer Award– Awarded to an individual who makes a notable difference to their community by giving their time voluntarily to help others.
Charlotte Postings, Positivity by Post – Community Groups Award – Awarded to a group of people who have helped to genuinely change the lives of others within their community. Championed by BBC Morning Live.
Gemma Orton – Fundraiser Award – Awarded to an individual or group of people who have gone the extra mile to raise funds for a good cause.
Gerry Riley – Carer Award – Awarded to someone who improves the life of an individual or group of people through their helpfulness, compassion and support.
Jay Popat- Great Neighbour Award – Awarded to an individual who helps to make the neighbourhood a better place to live or work, either on a regular basis or through a single act of kindness.
Ravi Sharma- Bravery Award – Awarded to an individual or group of people who has shown outstanding courage, defiance and duty in the face of perceived danger, fear or difficulty.
Katie Gibson, Everywhere we Grow- The Green Award – Awarded to an individual or group of people who make where they live a better place by caring for the environment and nature.
Bella at Ash Field Academy – The Animal Award – Awarded to an animal that improves the life of an individual or group of people. Or, a person or group of people working with animals to improve animal welfare.
At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Make a Difference became a virtual noticeboard for local communities across England, putting those in need of help in touch with those able to offer it. Post-pandemic, the awards are still as important as ever as the local heroes help those impacted by issues that can deeply affect our communities.
Sophie Cook, Executive Editor at BBC Leicester, said: “Leicestershire and Rutland has some incredible people who make up the community, and this year’s winners showcase those unsung heroes that go above and beyond. The awards are a special moment in the BBC Leicester calendar, and a real highlight of the year and I don’t envy the judges who had an incredibly difficult job picking the winners.”
Chris Burns, Controller Local Audio Commissioning said: “The Make a Difference Awards celebrate the good things that happen with our communities and it’s great to see that every year we see more and more nominations. The award ceremonies for me are a humbling experience and I feel privileged that we get to shine a light on these stories and give our listeners a chance to celebrate the unsung heroes where they live. A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate someone and a huge congratulations to our winners.”
To find out more about the awards visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/makeadifference
