Samosa-selling marathon runner among award nominees

Manny Singh Kang was called "inspirational" by one of the people who nominated him

A football fan who raises money by selling samosas and a night shelter volunteer are among the nominations for the BBC Make A Difference Awards in the West Midlands.

The awards shine a light on people "going above and beyond in their local communities" in eight categories including for fundraising and volunteering.

The samosa and marathon fundraiser

Manny Singh Kang has raised more than £260,000 for charity including through sponsored walks

Manny Singh Kang, from Wolverhampton, has raised more than £260,000 for Dementia UK since 2018 with numerous challenges including sponsored walks and marathons.

But it was selling samosas on matchdays at Molineux Stadium that scored him an award from the then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in March.

He has now been nominated for the fundraiser category of the Make A Difference awards.

One of his nominees, Claire Ellis, an ambassador for Dementia UK, said: "He's changing lives, he's making sure that people are supported in all elements of the community, he's inspirational."

Mr Singh Kang said: "As a Sikh, giving back and helping others is part of our mantra and we don't have to wait until somebody in our own family is affected by any condition."

Asylum seeker helps charity which helped him

Godfrey started helping with Carriers of Hope after they supported him and his family

Godfrey said he was inspired to volunteer for a charity which supports asylum seekers and refugees in Coventry after it helped him and his family when they arrived from Uganda.

Godfrey sought asylum when he came to the city in 2009 and visited Carriers of Hope seeking help.

Since then, his children have become British citizens and his wife is studying to be a nurse and, while he waits to get citizenship, Godfrey volunteers with the charity.

"When I hear that someone is in need or when I'm called upon, I always give my time to come any time I'm needed to the warehouse to help," he said.

He was nominated in the volunteer category for his "kind" and "compassionate" work and said he was "happy and thrilled" to hear he was up for the award.

Christmas fundraiser making kids smile

Hundreds of Christmas presents were given out by Jules Armstrong's charity in 2023

Jules Armstrong, from Cannock, Staffordshire, said she had become known as "Mrs Claus of the West Midlands" through the charity she runs to give presents to vulnerable children across the region.

Set up in 2022, A Child's Heart provided gifts for more than 980 youngsters in 2023.

"We've realised we can't change these children's lives but if we can make them smile for one day, it's worth it," she said.

The presents are collected at a unit on an industrial estate in Oldbury.

Mrs Armstrong said in one case they had a phone call about a woman who was in a hospice, her three children had given her their list but "she wasn't going to make it".

"We went out, we bought an Xbox, a load of games so that at least they got to have one more Christmas together," she said.

She was nominated for the fundraiser award by her daughter-in-law who said she and her helpers "definitely deserve the recognition for what they do".

"I'm quite surprised at being nominated, my friends and family are amazing, helping wrap presents - without their support none of this would be possible," Mrs Armstrong added.

The 'humbled' night shelter volunteer

Sam Burns said it was "amazing" to be nominated

Sam Burns said he could not believe he had been nominated in the volunteer category for his efforts supporting a night shelter in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent.

"It's amazing and I'm very humbled by it," he said.

The shelter offers a safe place for homeless people in the city to rest at night and Mr Burns said he started helping out in 2020 despite having done "very little volunteering" before then.

"Then we hit Covid. I didn't have any work going on at the time and I thought I'd fill my days with something," he said.

He was nominated for his "cheery" approach to volunteering at the shelter and for making people smile without judging anyone.

The BBC Make a Difference Awards winner will be announced in September.