Heroes honoured at Make a Difference Awards

Eight community heroes from across Kent have been honoured at a BBC awards event.

Now in its fourth year, the Make a Difference Awards honour and recognise those who go the extra mile to improve life across the county.

The winners in each of the eight categories have collected their awards at a glittering ceremony at Canterbury's Malthouse Theatre.

The event was hosted by BBC Radio Kent presenters Dominic King and Sophie Sutton.

From hundreds of nominations sent in, 32 finalists were chosen, with the winners announced on Monday night.

Award categories include Community Group, Young Hero and Fundraiser.

Jo Hogbin, from Dottie's Little Hog Hospital, won the Animal Award.

She says all she has ever wanted to do is care for injured animals.

"I can't change who I am; it's me, and it's just funny, really, isn't it?"

Jo Hogbin, from Dottie's Little Hog Hospital, won the Animal Award

Ms Hogbin said the hospital has helped many hedgehogs in recent weeks who were injured by road accidents, badger attacks and fighting between themselves.

"We have a lot of older hedgehogs coming in, and my heart breaks for them," she said.

Tonbridge Swimming Club chairman Keith Roshier picked up the Young Hero Award for swimmer Iona Winnifrith.

"We're fantastically proud," he said.

She didn't pick up the prize herself, as she is in Singapore competing in the World Para-swimming Championships.

Jayne Furniss picked up the community group award for Thanet's Mama to Mama.

Jayne Furniss took home the community group award for Thanet's Mama to Mama.

"I can't believe it, so thank you so much," she said.

The group helps pregnant women and children by providing them with care packages for new mums.

And Matt Lane, from Dartford, won the Great Neighbour Award for fundraising, distributing and installing critical bleed kits across the town and the south-east.

"We fit them in cabinets which are accessible 24/7," he said.

The full list of winners is:

• Volunteer: Anthony Grove won for his work with young people at Tonbridge Amateur Boxing Club, volunteering for up to 40 hours a week to give opportunities to young people through the sport's discipline and a sense of purpose.

• Young hero: Paralympic swimmer Iona Winnifrith won this category in absentia as she is currently in Singapore competing in the World Para-swimming Championships. Her trophy was collected by Keith Roshier, her sometime coach and chairman of Tonbridge Swimming Club.

• Great neighbour: Following a family tragedy, Matt Lane from Dartford was accorded the win for his work in fundraising for, distributing and installing critical bleed kits to locations across the town and the wider south-east region.

• Active: Tunbridge Wells Hockey Club's disability section Flyerz won the active award. They were the first in Kent in 2017 to run disability sessions with a player subsequently representing Team GB at the Berlin Special Olympics. They are encouraging other clubs across Kent to do the same.

• Animal: Jo Hogbin from Dottie's Little Hog Hospital in Herne Bay won the animal category. The recently-extended hospital, of which Jo is a driving force, rescues and looks after sick hedgehogs and continues to care for them if they cannot be released back into the wild.

• Green: The role of gamekeeper and environment champion may seem at odds, but George Cooper has helped re-wild a farm in Thanet by creating habitats to encourage native wildlife.

• Fundraiser: Steve Wolfe has taken on the incredible Run the world challenge, aiming to cover a distance equivalent to the circumference of the Earth at 40,075km. He is running every day, without a day off, and is aiming to finish by 21 Dec next year.

• Community group: Mama to Mama is Thanet's only baby bank providing items to vulnerable pregnant women, caregivers and children under five who are living in poverty. Everything is donated by the local community and the group it was "shocked" that it had been nominated.

You can hear the stories of all 32 of this year's finalists here.