BBC Make a Difference Awards nominations open

Make A Difference Awards winners with presenter Danny Pike in 2024

The Make a Difference awards honouring community champions has opened for nominations.

The BBC Radio Sussex and Radio Surrey awards celebrate people who give their time to improve their communities.

Two new categories have been introduced for 2025: the Young Hero Award and the Active Award.

The 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 others

• The Young Hero Award – for an under-16-year-old who has made a positive impact in their community or achieved something exceptional

• The 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 kindness

• The 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 community

• The Animal Award – for either a remarkable animal that improves people's lives, or an individual or group who improve the welfare of animals

• The Green Award – for an individual or group of people who improve or conserve their local environment

• The Fundraiser Award – for an individual or group who have gone the extra mile to raise funds for a good cause

• The Community Group Award (Supported by BBC TV show Morning Live) – for a group who have helped to change the lives of others within their community

To nominate someone go to the Make A Difference site, with nominations closing at 17:00 BST on 31 March.

Dawn Stephens has helped fundraise to provide defibrillators

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 feelings.

The Great Neighbour Award went to Dawn Stephen from Crowborough, East Sussex, who runs a pub.

She is the president of the Crowborough First Responders and has fundraised for eight defibrillators, with a ninth in the pipeline.

She described winning the award as "surreal", has qualified as a first responder, and continues to host fundraising events.

Ivan Lyons founded a charity following the death of his son

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 universities.

As 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 policy.

Mr 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 donations.

BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey are embarking on a Make A Difference tour.

Reporters 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.