Awards celebrate volunteers, neighbours and a dog

This year's winners at BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Make a Difference Awards

A 90-year-old street party organiser, an enormous labradoodle and a woman who has raised £17,000 for charity were among those to be honoured at a community awards ceremony in Gloucestershire.

They were among eight winners from 32 finalists who walked the red carpet for BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Make a Difference Awards.

Personalities including Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards, Emmerdale star James Moore and deaf influencer Imy Harris announced the winners to the audience.

It's the fourth year of the Make a Difference Awards for BBC Local radio and this year BBC Radio Gloucestershire hosted its event at Tewkesbury Park.

The eight winners were:

• The Volunteer Award: Bryan Higgs, who has volunteered for more than three decades training children and young adults in boxing. He is a constant presence at Lydney Amateur Boxing Club.

• The Young Hero Award: Ed Simpson, a 16-year-old from Cirencester, who has raised over £100,000 for charity through penalty kicks. Ed is receiving treatment for leukaemia following brain cancer four years ago.

• The Great Neighbour Award: Jean Levy, who has lived in the same street in Cheltenham for 56 years. She's 90 years old and is well-known for organising the best street parties, pruning colourful displays of flowers and caring for everyone living around her.

• The Active Award: BEAM Gymnastics, which is run by two sisters who launched this inclusive gymnastics club for children and young people with additional needs.

• The Animal Award: Rafa the dog was nominated for his ability to make a child's day if they are feeling sad. He regularly visits children at Glenfall Community Primary School.

• The Green Award: The National Star Hedgehog Friendly Campus are a group of students with complex disabilities who have warmly welcomed hedgehogs at their college. They've picked up litter and made it a safe environment for our spiked friends.

• The Fundraiser Award: Linda Jackson, who developed a love for running and walking 15 years ago, when she began cancer treatment. She has now raised £17,000 for Sue Ryder by running the London Marathon.

• The Community Group Award: P.E.A.K stands for Parenting Empowered Autistic Kids, which Marco and Amy founded five years ago due to their own experiences of parenting and teaching children on the autistic spectrum.

'Lovely to be recognised'

Mr Higgs said: "We've helped kids... we've had older people come in the gym and given them confidence, we've had people come in the gym and they've been in bad places.

"We've helped them get through it and it's lovely to be recognised for what I've done to them."

Carly Appleby, BBC Radio Gloucestershire's executive editor, said: "The Make a Difference Awards are about celebrating individuals who go above and beyond to support people in their communities and beyond.

"Radio Gloucestershire has shined a light on these local heroes who are all making a real difference and giving up their own time to help people locally across Gloucestershire.

"Well done to all of the worthy winners."