Winners and finalists revealed at 2024 Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards in emotional and inspiring event

Local heroes from across Sefton were honoured at an emotional and inspiring 2024 Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards. 

The winners and finalists were celebrated at a glittering awards ceremony in the Princess Grace Suite at The Grand on Lord Street in Southport town centre. 

Denise Fergus was given a standing ovation as she was announced as this year’s Main Award winner. 

Denise and husband Stuart have supported many young people disadvantaged through being victims of crime, hatred or bullying through the James Bulger Memorial Trust, set up in memory of Denise’s son, James Bulger, who was abducted and murdered in Bootle in 1993. 

There was huge applause too as the Lifetime Achievement Award went to pioneering local radio presenter, TV presenter and panto star John Cooper. 

Sefton band Red Rum Club, who recently played their biggest gig at theM&S Bank Arena in Liverpool and were praised by Elton John, won the Sefton Arts Award. 

There were awards for David and Ann Cobham, aged 81, who have led the transformation and maintenance of the Botanic Gardens in Churchtown for the past 15 years; Marine Football Club Chairman Paul Leary, who has spent the past 45 years volunteering for one of the UK’s most successful non-league clubs; and more. 

There were 13 categories on the night, with incredible stories behind all the finalists. 

There were over 1,300 nominations for community figures from Southport, Bootle, Crosby, Formby, Maghull and across Sefton. 

The Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards were organised by Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group and Stand Up For Southport in association with media partners In Demand Radio. 

The night was hosted by In demand Radio presenter Claire Simmo, with entertainment from Whitney Houston tribute performer Michelle Lawson, soul singer Dave Broe and DJ Baz Todd. 

As Sefton celebrates its 50th birthday, VIP guests attending the awards included Sefton Council Leader Cllr Marion Atkinson; Mayor of Sefton Cllr June Burns; and council Chief Executive Phil Porter. 

Pictures on the night were taken by Kevin Brown Photography with videography by Zack Downey from ZED Productions. 

Fundraising took place on the night with proceeds going to the ICU Steps, the intensive care patient support charity. 

Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group Chairman Andrew Mikhail said: 

“It was an honour to host the second Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards and celebrate some incredibly special people who do so much, so selflessly, to make our communities what they are. 

“We were astounded by the response this year, with over 1,300 nominations from members of the public. Everyone there as a finalist should be immensely proud. 

“It was our opportunity to thank them for everything they do. 

“I would also like to thank all our sponsors. 

“There is no secret that rising costs, rising energy bills, has made life difficult for so many people and businesses. 

“The Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards sponsors have put their hands in their pockets to make this event possible. 

“Without these sponsors, we would not be able to do this.”

Stand Up For Southport Director Andrew Brown said: 

“What an inspiring night! It was a privilege to hear so many fantastic stories of what people from across Sefton are doing to make where we live a better place for all. 

“We had a room full of local heroes. It was great to see them take centre stage for once. 

“The Grand looked absolutely sensational for the event. It was a beautiful venue; fantastic food; and superb entertainment. 

“Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group invests a huge amount into improving our community and these awards are part of that. 

“We have already begun work on next year’s Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards, which will take place at The Grand in Southport on Friday, 25th April 2025. If anyone would like to get involved we’d love to hear from you.” 

In Demand Radio presenter and Awards host Claire Simmo said:

“I was delighted to not only host the Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards but also to be involved with co-organising such a fantastic team.

“It’s an honour to be able to celebrate such inspirational people across Sefton.”

Pride of Sefton Awards 2024 Winners and Finalists 

Main Award – Pride of Sefton (sponsor by The Grand) 

Winner: Denise Fergus 

Denise has dedicated her life to helping families across the UK since the tragic abduction of her son James in Bootle 31 years ago. She has been constantly fundraising and organising events to put money back into the community and to give troubled families a place to go for respite and build damaged relationships, and spend quality family time together.

Finalist: Laura Hughes  

Laura lost her brother, Colin McGinty, to knife crime. Today she leads the Know Knife Crime charity and campaign, helping children to make better choices. This month she has completed the London Marathon and led the Know Knife Crime relay, with over 1,600 Sefton school children taking part and raising over £23,000 for bleed control kits in our communities. 

Finalist: Claire Morgans 

Claire has just celebrated 20 years of her Ykids charity with balloons, jelly and ice cream – and why not? For the past 20 years Ykids has helped young people discover their potential and purpose, delivering hundreds of children’s projects, community events, schools work and more, creating a lasting legacy of change in people’s lives.

Lifetime Achievement Award / Special Recognition Award (sponsor LWC Drinks) 

Winner – John Cooper   

Many people will recognise John’s voice as a pioneering DJ on radio stations such as Dune FM, and as a presenter on the Cruise Channel .  

A former Southport Ambassador Awards Winner, he has also entertained families for years in his many roles in pantomime, even putting himself in the way of danger to protect young cast members when a pyrotechnic went wrong on stage one night. 

He’s a true legend who has given his all selflessly to support other people. 

Diversity & Inclusion Award (sponsor Sefton Council) 

Winner: John Doran 

John is a founder member of the Bootle Bucks Inclusion FC that started with a handful of disabled and SEN children to include them in football. It has grown to over 300 kids and adults of all ages and all disabilities 

Finalist: Jen Corcoran 

Hundreds of people turned out to support the first ever Sefton Pride event as it took place in Southport last year. The event was organised by Jen Corcoran and the new Sefton Pride CIC 

Finalist: Victoria Lawton

Victoria is a Domestic Violence Caseworker with Sefton Women’s And Children’s Aid who ensures there are services for male victims. She has also developed services for the LGBTQi community in Sefton following the recognition of an increase in referrals for young adults.

Community Impact Award (sponsor Carlsberg) 

Winner: David and Ann Cobham  

For the past 15 years, after the Botanic Gardens lost their gardeners due to funding cuts, David and Ann have recruited and led a team of volunteers to maintain and improve this historic park. 

They revamped the Fernery; reopened the toilets; and at the age of 81 devote their life to making sure this park is a place for all families to enjoy. 

Finalist: Southport Saviours 

Southport Saviours saves lives through raising money to install accessible defibrillators in our community, training people to use them. 

In February they ran the Southport Mad Dog 10k dressed as a Wedding Party, with Richard running in full wedding dress and trainers, a real life Runaway Bride. 

Georgina Vernon 

Georgina Vernon started up The Free Clothes Store at Lakeside Church in Southport.  

Sourcing donations from members of the public, it provides free clothing to families in our community who are struggling in these challenging times. 

Charity Champion Award (sponsor Communications Plus) 

Winner: Alex Rigby 

Alex ran through EVERY train station on the Merseyrail Northern Line – 37 train stations in total – raising over £27,000 for Centre 56, a place of safety and hope for families in Kirkdale for more than 50 years

He ran 56 miles in 11 hours. 

Finalist: Sue Connerty   

Sue has worked tirelessly raising funds on behalf of the Walking With Giants Foundation. She has a son who has a condition called Primordial Dwarfism and set up the foundation to help other families facing similar hurdles.

Finalist: Lynne Warham 

Lynne is a resident of Maghull and every year raises money for local charities through her page ‘Christmas Cheer’. She does a Christmas Cheer jokeathon through December and January, going live every night. This year she raised over £8,000.

Sefton Arts Award (sponsor Fitton Estates) 

Winner: Red Rum Club .  

Six local lads, who are taking the UK and US by storm, while still supporting their local communities. They’ve just played their biggest gig at the M&S Arena; had their name added to The Cavern Wall Of Fame; and been hailed on Elton John’s podcast! 

Finalist: Abbie Billington 

Abbie and friends set up the Jacob Billington Trust to support young people with creative arts after her brother, Jacob, died in tragic circumstances. She has raised over £20,000 to inspire local talent in music and create a fitting legacy for Jacob

Finalist: Southport Hookers 

You can’t go far in Southport without seeing the incredible work of these guerrilla artists. Their designs bring joy to thousands with colourful postbox toppers, with a motto of ‘crochet kindness’. 

Business in The Community Award (sponsor In Demand Radio) 

Winner: Gill Ditchburn

Gill Ditchburn has been the CEO of Elevate Education Business Partnership, celebrating 25 years of working with young people to develop and inspire tomorrow’s workforce in Sefton and the Liverpool City Region.
Elevate EBP has enabled 3 million hours of work experience for young people with over 800,000 careers interventions.

Finalist: Byng House 

Byng House is a very special nursing home in Southport which provides exceptional care. Byng House has just been named in the Top 20 best Care Homes in the North West. 

Finalist: Sue Palmer-Conn 

Dr Sue Palmer-Conn, AKA ‘the Divorce Doctor’, turned to working with people on the brink of divorce after finding few options available here in the UK.
She set up the Divorce Coaching Academy in 2021 and has trained 25 new divorce counsellors. 

She was named as one of the UK’s 100 most inspirational and dynamic businesswomen.

School of The Year Award (sponsor Southport College) 

Winner: Holy Trinity Primary School, Southport 

English is an additional language for 68% of the children which Holy Trinity staff view as a reason to celebrate. Last year they recorded a video singing ‘Waterloo’ in 7 different languages for Eurovision 2023. 

Finalist: Star of the Sea Primary School, Seaforth 

It’s a small but an amazing school that does a huge amount to raise stoma awareness and raise money for stoma charities.

They are like one big family which goes above and beyond for children and their families.

Finalist: Meols Cop High School, Southport 

The school value of ‘Brokering Aspirations’ provides a dynamic and broad curriculum that inspires students.

Meols Cop is an inclusive, forward-thinking school with the care of the children at the heart of everything they staff do.

Unsung Hero Award (sponsor River Law) 

Winner: Paul Leary  

For 45 years, Paul Leary has worked as a volunteer at Marine Football Club in a number of roles, including Chairman since 2004. 

Marine has twice won National Community Club of the Year;  donated 20,000 lots of kit to Kitaid to Africa; and carried out five major ground developments, raising over £1 million to make the changes.

Winner: Andrew Brown 

Andrew Brown created Stand Up For Southport as a positive community platform. In four years he has built up nearly 50,000 local followers on social media.

He co-organises the annual Jail and Bail fundraiser, which last year raised over £25,000 for Queenscourt Hospice and supports other local organisations including Make A Change For Botanic, Southport Royal British Legion, Volunteer Centre Sefton and others.

Finalist: Lynn Abbot  

In 1985 Lyn watched a programme on TV All about Great Ormond street children’s hospital. 

Since then she’s opened her house every November, selling crafts, gifts, and toys, raising over £18,000.
Lyn has also spent decades volunteering at Southport Lifeboat, Southbank Road Methodist Church, Friends of Birkdale Primary School and more.

Finalist: John Simpson 

This year marks 50 years that John has been a Scout leader at Holy Family Scout Group. John as Group Scout leader has mentored not just children but many adults too, helping them become outstanding scout leaders with a fantastic role model to aspire to.

Sportsperson of the Year (sponsor Solarcrown Commercial)

Winner: Lisa Gawthorne 

Lisa is an amazing athlete who has won: 

European age group duathlete champion (Italy) – gold medal for GB
World age group duathlete champion (Spain) – gold medal for GB
Mersey Tunnel 10K – female winner
Lisa runs and trains around Formby woods, Ainsdale and Southport while also managing a business, Bravura Foods.

Finalist: John Fenton 

John Fenton is a tennis player and coach who is passionate about growing the sport of tennis in the community. He effectively runs Waterloo Lawn Tennis Club in all areas and works tirelessly to secure much-needed funding to keep the club going. 

Finalist: Zak Perzamanos 

Zak is the 2023 Trampoline Gymnastics British Champion, who won a World Cup individual bronze medal in 2023. H

He also qualified GBR an Olympic place in men’s trampoline for the Paris 2024 Olympic games by making the senior world championship final in November 2023.

Young Sportsperson of the Year (sponsor DT Hughes Group) 

Winner: Louis Cheung–Turner  

Louis travels all over both the UK and Europe representing the UK in table tennis. 

He has competed in many competitions winning people well above his age. 

Winner: Joshua Morris 

Joshua Morris earned an outstanding win at the Kickboxing world championships in Canada 2023. Consistently going above and beyond with his wins he gives back his free time to help coach and nurture the younger children into the gym. 

Winner: Jack Carney 

Jack Carney started playing cricket at Southport & Birkdale Cricket Club. Last year he was awarded Player of the Year for Lancashire Under 18s.

Last August Jack was selected for England Under 19s and was then selected as first choice Batsman / Wicketkeeper for the Under 19s World Cup2024 in South Africa.

Courage Award (sponsor Capelli Hair Studio) 

Winner: Barbara Rouse   

Barbara has been active in the Bootle community for most of her life and is known as ‘The Duchess of Bootle’.

After overcoming cancer, she raised thousands of pounds for Cancer Research by abseiling Liverpool Cathedral as ‘SpiderNan’.
She has volunteered with Bootle YMCA for 46 years and saved it from closure and led improvements in Derby Park for 30 years

Finalist: Denise Lloyd  

Denise has dedicated her career at Bluebird Sefton to being a professional Carer and Manager working on the frontline in the community. 

She has cared for countless individuals, each with their own unique needs. 

When one elderly lady with dementia needed urgent medical attention, Denise refused to leave her side even as the ambulance took hours to arrive. 

Finalist: Nicola Shield 

After suffering an ectopic pregnancy, Nicola became an ambassador for Cradle, helping women and families through pregnancy loss. In this incredibly dark and difficult situation she chose to try and help others who are going through a similar loss. 

Child of Courage Award (sponsor Southport Pleasureland) 

Winner: Jose Thiakulam Paulose  

Last summer, on a day out with his family, Jose was involved in an horrendous accident in Southport. He suffered appalling injuries and has only recently returned to school full time. Jose has shown huge amounts of courage and determination, even in pain. He is an inspiration to others.

Winner: Dylan Roberts 

Dylan has complex health needs having been born addicted to Heroin and diagnosed with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and other conditions. He has had various operations but loves having a laugh with everyone and is loved by many. 

He enjoys school and his friends, Royal Rangers, rock climbing, canoeing and more. 

Winner: Ralphy Thompson  

Ralphy is nearly three years old and has already undergone heart surgery after being diagnosed with a very rare genetic abnormality. He has had his fair share of hospital stays and surgery but still keeps a smile on his face, and shows huge strength, resilience and courage.

 

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