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BBC News
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
West Midlands Make a Difference Awards nominations open
Nominations have opened for the 2025 BBC local radio Make a Difference Awards, which celebrate people who are doing good things for others and shine a light of some of the ways they have made a can nominate their unsung heroes via the website and all BBC local radio stations will hold award ceremonies later this those recognised last year was Tipton binman Steve Whitehouse, who saved three people from a winner was jacket potato seller Ben Newman – better known as social media sensation Spudman – who has brought thousands of people to Tamworth. The 2024 winners included foster carers Marva and Lionel Warmington from Birmingham who had helped more than 150 children - Mrs Warmington described how about 30 years ago she thought "there was a better way to care".Mr Whitehouse, who risked his life to save others after he spotted a fire, said: "I just did what I had to do, I was there at the right time."Organisations that received awards included the Coventry and Warwickshire Charity Christmas Tree Collection, Shropshire Cat Rescue, Wellington Cycle Hub, and the Keep Tenbury Clean and Green Community Group. There are two new categories this year, the Young Hero Award for a person under 16 for their positive impact or an exceptional achievement and the Active Award for those who have used sport to improve categories include the Volunteer award for someone who gives time to help others, the Great Neighbour Award for those who make neighbourhoods Animal award is for an animal that has improved lives or people who improve animal welfare, and the Green award is for those who help their final two categories are the Fundraiser award for those supporting good causes and the Community Group Award for people who have helped change lives of others in their community. Make a Difference was set up during the Covid pandemic to recognise the everyday, unsung heroes who go the extra mile for close on 31 March and winners will be announced in September. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
25-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
BBC Sussex and Surrey Make a Difference Awards nominations open
The Make a Difference awards honouring community champions has opened for BBC Radio Sussex and Radio Surrey awards celebrate people who give their time to improve their new categories have been introduced for 2025: the Young Hero Award and the Active finalists will be invited to a ceremony, where the winners will be revealed. There are eight categories:The Volunteer Award – for an individual who makes a notable difference to their community by giving their time voluntarily to help othersThe Young Hero Award – for an under-16-year-old who has made a positive impact in their community or achieved something exceptionalThe Great Neighbour Award – for an individual who helps make the neighbourhood a better place to live or work in, either on a regular basis or through a single act of kindnessThe Active Award – for an individual or group who have used physical activity or sport as a way of improving the lives of those in their communityThe Animal Award – for either a remarkable animal that improves people's lives, or an individual or group who improve the welfare of animalsThe Green Award – for an individual or group of people who improve or conserve their local environmentThe Fundraiser Award – for an individual or group who have gone the extra mile to raise funds for a good causeThe Community Group Award (Supported by BBC TV show Morning Live) – for a group who have helped to change the lives of others within their communityTo nominate someone go to the Make A Difference site, with nominations closing at 17:00 BST on 31 March. Winners in 2024 included a therapy dog which visits schools, care homes and psychiatric hospitals, and the founder of a weekly walk and talk group that provides a safe space for men to share their Great Neighbour Award went to Dawn Stephen from Crowborough, East Sussex, who runs a is the president of the Crowborough First Responders and has fundraised for eight defibrillators, with a ninth in the described winning the award as "surreal", has qualified as a first responder, and continues to host fundraising events. The winner of the 2024 Community category was Ivan Lyons from Leatherhead, Surrey, who founded Joe's Buddy Line alongside his wife and daughter after their son, Joe, took his own life in 2020. The charity provides free mental health support and resources to schools and a result of winning the award, the charity has been part of a bill put forward by Mr Lyon's local MP, Helen Maguire, after she heard Ivan's interview on BBC Radio Surrey, that would require educational institutions to develop and maintain a mental health Lyons says since the awards "other schools are now contacting us for help", and because the support is free of charge they desperately need more Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey are embarking on a Make A Difference will be in Jubilee Square in Woking town centre on Tuesday, The Belfry shopping centre in Redhill on Wednesday, Priory Meadow shopping centre in Hastings on Thursday, and the Tescos superstore in Bognor Regis on Friday.
