Thank you everyone who put forward a nomination for my Local Hero award for 2020.

There has been a wide range of nominees, from individuals to organisations, all who have done incredible things over the past year.

Below is a list of the nominees and the reasons why they have been nominated.

Once you have decided on who you would like to vote for please click here and follow the instructions on the form.

Voting will close on the 16th December with the winner being announced shortly after. Thank you for participating and please visit my Facebook page for updates.

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Joanne Webster – Joanne of Hirst Butchers has throughout lockdown donated meals to elderly people as well as supporting the food bank and offering delivery to anyone who cannot travel to the shop. She is also participating in the big sleep out at Alnwick gardens to raise money for Shelter.

 

Maureen Jefferson – Maureen is the owner of the Coble pub in Newbiggin. Maureen has donated food for local children who would otherwise have gone hungry, and has throughout the pandemic continued to support local charities and fundraisers.

 

Craig Leathard – Craig has been nominated for his hard work with the NHS throughout lockdown at what has been a difficult period for our health service.

 

Ross Thompson – Ross is recognised throughout the community as a tireless volunteer who spends a huge amount of time helping support and raise money for a number of charities across Wansbeck.

 

Kevin Miller – Kevin has spent lockdown dressing up in fancy dress to cheer people up across Ashington at a time when many of us needed cheering up as well as being offering support and a conversation to anyone who needed it.

 

Natalie and Johnny Kerr – In devastating news for many Natalie passed away recently after a battle with cancer. She has been nominated for her tireless efforts to promote cancer awareness despite fighting her own battle. Her husband Johnny has also been nominated for the devotion and support he gave Natalie throughout her battle. Natalie will be sorely missed by the whole community and my thoughts are with her family at this difficult time.

 

Team Suzy – Team Suzy have been nominated for their outstanding efforts in fundraising for cancer research in the community

 

Calmer Therapy – The team at Calmer Therapy have been nominated for their hard work throughout lockdown supporting and keeping their members connected. They have also been involved in a wide range of charity work across the community.

 

Sinead Simms – Sinead has been involved in a variety of charity work through the Pegswood Co-op as well as raising money through bake sales and organising a Christmas giving Tree.

 

Sarah Bannister – Sarah leads a dedicated team of community nurses, and despite suffering from bad symptoms of long Covid has worked exhaustively throughout the pandemic to care for others.

 

Real Deal Plus – Real Deal Plus has been a rock in the Ashington community throughout the pandemic, supporting residents dealing with loneliness, substance abuse, poverty and long term unemployment, all of which have been magnified during the pandemic.

 

Engage – Engage are an organisation who do work in communities across the North East. During the recent half term, they worked around the clock to ensure no child went without food, mobilising the community and organising collections and deliveries across Wansbeck and beyond.

 

Andrea Haig – Andrea has been fundraising tirelessly this year for CRUK and it was her idea to bring Relay for Life to our area. Unfortunately, the coronavirus has put her plans on hold for this year but she is already planning and fundraising for 2021.

 

Kimberley Sharp – Kimberley has gone above and beyond to help families suffering from domestic abuse. Kimberley’s friends, family and local businesses have helped by donating toys, gifts, Christmas trees, household items, and money.

 

Alan Stanfield – Alan has been involved in a wide range of fundraising activities, raising money for cancer research and providing and delivering food for those who need it throughout the pandemic.

 

Cambois Primary School – Cambois Primary School have supplied food hampers throughout the community and used their school minibus to provide Cambois with a travelling shop during lockdown. Now they are feeding Christmas lunch to the community and delivering Christmas food hampers to again not just families in Cambois but anyone who needs them and running a free Christmas gift shop.

 

David Twomey – David is the Priest in Charge of St John’s and St Andrew’s, Seaton Hirst. He has kept in contact with vulnerable and lonely people in the community and has helped put together food parcels for local vulnerable families and refugees, as well as offering people the opportunity to worship digitally.

 

Dawn Kinghorn – From the beginning of the pandemic Dawn has helped keep the children in Stakeford entertained and donated food to ensure no one went hungry throughout the crisis. Dawn is widely considered a superhero to the people of Stakeford due to her kindness and selflessness.

 

Margaret Turner – Since retiring Margaret has dedicated herself to helping others at the local food bank, organising drop offs and working long hours to ensure everyone in the community has food available to them.

 

Caroline Ball – Caroline has participated in countless hours of aid to help others – including dressing up as a minion and delivering hundreds of chocolate eggs to children across South east Northumberland during Easter!

 

Jacky Lannon – As a nurse, Jacky has supported her patients throughout the pandemic, looking after their mental health and making sure they always have someone to turn to.

 

Marjorie Morton – Marjorie has spent many hours raising awareness and collecting donations for the Alzheimer’s society during the pandemic throughout which her mother struggled with the disease.

 

Joanne Scott – Joanne is the manager of Caring Hands @ home, a company who provide care across Wansbeck. She always goes above and beyond for her clients and did everything in her power to keep her clients safe and comfortable and to provide dignified care of an exceptional standard.

 

Claire’s Chance – Claire’s Chance consists of a group of young men and women who have worked tirelessly to raise money to pay for Claire Wealleans to receive treatment for a rare cancer, as well as raising awareness for cancer as they go. Claire has been incredibly brave throughout her battle and the fundraising efforts of Claire’s Chance show just how much people in the community care for her.

 

Barbara Ross – Barbara organised the Morpeth Matters calendar for charity and is the driving force behind “A Present for me Nana and Grandad” which gives a gift, at Christmas, to any resident of a Morpeth care home who wouldn’t otherwise receive anything.

 

Tony Gray – Tony is a key worker who has worked nonstop throughout the pandemic alongside delivering over 200 food parcels to Bothal cottages.

 

Vickie Towart – Vickie has provided food hampers for the elderly and has gone the extra mile for others during the pandemic.

 

Sally Milner – Sally is the chaplain of the Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust. Since the very beginning of lockdown, she has worked tirelessly to support those families in receipt of free school meals, especially in delivering large numbers of food parcels. On Campus, she has provided cover for staff who are shielding, including operating the tills at lunchtimes!

 

Leanne Robinson – Leanne is the Carers into Work Advisor for Carers Northumberland. She supports carers who wish to find work, access training or education. She also supports carers in CV writing, completing application forms or cover letters, and with hints and tips for interviews.