People who have made a significant impact on their local community in Sefton are set to be honoured in the 2024 Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards.
The Sefton Community Impact Awards, sponsored by Carlsberg, would love to hear YOUR nomination.
Last year’s winner was Debbie Rogers, the founder of Sean’s Place, which had led an inspirational campaign against male suicide.
She was given a huge round of applause as she stepped up to accept the Award.
A Carlsberg spokesperson said: “We are delighted to be supporting the Sefton Community Impact Awards at the 2024 Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards.
“We are looking forward to seeing people’s nominations.
“We would love you to tell us – which person or organisation has had the biggest positive impact on their community?
“How have they made Sefton a better place or helped people? Have they used their heart as well as their business head to serve their area?”
Please enter details on the website: prideofseftonawards.co.uk or email your nominations to: standupforsouthport@gmail.com
The winners and finalists will be honoured at the Grand on Lord Street in Southport on Friday, 26th April 2024.
Submissions are being sought from Southport, Bootle, Crosby, Formby, Maghull, Aintree, and across the borough.
Sean’s Place, founded by Debbie Rogers (third left), won the Community Impact Award sponsored by Forth Homes. Photo by Kevin Brown Photography
Last year’s Sefton Community Impact Awards winner was Debbie Rogers, who founded Sean’s Place in Bootle in 2020 following the tragic loss of her brother Sean to suicide the year before.
She said: “It was an honour to win one of the first Pride of Sefton Awards!
“We don’t do what we do for awards but it’s an amazing privilege to take this back to our members as a tribute to their bravery to walk through our doors and begin their journey to accessing help.
“It’s also for our wonderful team of volunteers to celebrate their kindness as they give their time to help improve the lives of others.
“We couldn’t do this without them.”
Debbie was determined to make a difference after losing her brother, Sean, in 2019.
In 2020 despite battling inquests and dealing with her grief Debbie began to build a sanctuary for men in the community where they could find a sense of belonging and have hope again for the future.
In just three years before last year’s awards she provided support to over 2,500 men with an average of 160 men attending Sean’s Place every single week.
Sailings Home Owners and Staff with Jonathan Cunningham and their new defibrillator. Photo Left to right Peter Dalton (Home Owner), Yvonne Hodge (Duty Manager), Jonathan Cunningham (CFR Team Leader), Colin Redwood (Home Owner) and Karen Chicken (General Manager)
A Finalist in the Community Impact category was Jonathan Cunningham, who not only runs two care homes in Southport, working tirelessly to entertain and enrich the lives of the residents.
He also volunteers in his spare time as a Community First Responder and delivers first aid sessions to local Cubs, Scouts and other voluntary groups completely free of charge.
The second finalist was Sefton Baby Baskets, which began in 2020 in Crosby when friends appealed for baby clothes for their friend who worked at the local hospital.
They gathered so many clothes they filled a church hall and then spent weeks distributing them to refugees, asylum centres, health visitors, community centres and the hospital, among many other places.
The Pride Of Sefton Awards sponsored by The Grand Southport and organised by Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group and Stand Up For Southport, is an unmissable fixture in the Liverpool City Region events calendar, in association with In Demand Radio.
The ceremony will be presented by In Demand Radio presenter Claire Simmo and former Sky Sports News presenter Fraser Dainton.
All those on the shortlist will be invited to a special celebratory meal in the beautiful surroundings of The Princess Grace Suite at The Grand in Southport while the awards are presented, with a stunning night of entertainment planned.
Nominations are still being invited across all 13 categories ahead of the closing date on 22nd March 2024.
For more details please visit: www.prideofseftonawards.co.uk
Please Like the Pride Of Sefton Awards page on Facebook the Pride Of Sefton Awards on Instagram and Pride Of Sefton 23 on Twitter.
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