Gloucestershire community champions celebrated at awards

Awards were presented to community heroes across eight categories

Dozens of community champions have been honoured in the first Make a Difference Awards in Gloucestershire.

Winners were announced in eight categories celebrating key workers, great neighbours, volunteers and more across the county.

The other 22 finalists received Highly Commended awards.

"It's a real privilege to be with all the winners here," said Juliette Harris from Cirencester Signpost, which won the Community Group award.

The group helps homeless people in the Cotswold town.

"We've never won anything before so this is hugely exciting," Ms Harris added. "We've been embarrassed because we don't like the attention, but this is a family affair - we'll share this amongst everybody."

The Make a Difference campaign was created for local BBC radio at the start of the first lockdown in March 2020

Juliette Harris from Cirencester Signpost described winning the Community Group award as "hugely exciting"

The eight winners were:

• Volunteer: Louise Davies - Reunites lost animals with their owners through countless hours of voluntary work and running a Facebook group with 17,000 members

• Community Group: Cirencester Signpost - a group which cares for the homeless in Cirencester, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

• Fundraiser: Sam Sykes - Since losing her husband she's raised more than £70,000 for Leckhampton Court Hospice

• Carer: Adam Murphy - A father of three who cares for his autistic son Ryan while inspiring 28,000 Twitter followers

• Great Neighbour: Rosealeen Lane - She bakes for others, walks with others, reads to others and teaches others and, at 80 years old, shows no signs of slowing down

• Key Worker: Mary Wilson - An emergency department nurse loved for four decades of life-saving care and admired for her unfailing dedication to the NHS

• Environmental: Rebecca Henwood - Inspires children through her voluntary work to maintain Churchdown Village Junior School's Garden Club

• The Together Award: #FeedCheltenham - Providing food and care for families in need through a well-run network of individuals and local groups

After collecting her Fundraiser award, Sam Sykes said: "I can't believe it really. I'm overwhelmed I was chosen.

"I don't do it for me, I do it for the hospice, and [late husband] Ben and my little girl. The hospice has given me friends for life as well as support, so why wouldn't you fundraise for them."

The winners were presented with their accolade during the inaugural Make a Difference awards hosted by BBC Radio Gloucestershire on Saturday 24 September at Cheltenham Racecourse.

Sam Sykes (right) was presented with her award by BBC Radio Gloucestershire presenter Faye Hatcher

The inaugural Make a Difference awards ceremony was hosted by BBC Radio Gloucestershire at the Cheltenham Racecourse

Mary Sanders, editor of BBC Radio Gloucestershire, said: "It has been an honour to celebrate the amazing people doing brilliant work in Gloucestershire.

"All of our winners go above and beyond to improve the lives of others and we're delighted to be able to say thank you to them."

Make a Difference was created to recognise remarkable people across the country; marking their achievements and the contribution they make to their community.

It was set-up at the beginning of the pandemic at the start of the first lockdown in March 2020.

It was a virtual notice board for those able to offer help and those needing support.

To date, more than nine million people have interacted with Make a Difference across all 39 local BBC radio stations.

Chris Burns, head of audio and digital for BBC England, said: "We are delighted to announce the winners of these wonderful awards, which celebrate those individuals who have gone above and beyond, what most of us expect from people.

"In a world where the news can often be quite bleak, it is a way of showing off the best of people. We have really enjoyed hearing their stories and sharing them with our listeners.

"A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to nominated someone."