Congratulations to everybody who has been nominated for my Local Hero award for 2022.

There has been a wide range of fantastic organisations and individuals from across Wansbeck who have done so much fantastic work in their communities this past year.

Find out more about each of the nominees below before casting your vote by clicking HERE and following the instructions on the form.

Voting will close on the 9th December and the winner will be announced before Christmas. For more updates check out my Facebook and Twitter pages.

The nominees are as follows:

Al Vaziri – Al has been a local shopkeeper in Ashington for 40 years and is a well known face around Ashington. He has dedicated countless hours to helping the community alongside various charities. Sadly ALS is set to close its doors next year after four decades of trading, something that will be a huge miss for the community in Ashington.

Anne Down – Anne has been a champion for Bothal Upper School for many years, assisting both children & parents to cross an extremely busy road to get to School as well as going above and beyond in her duties towards the community.

2522 Bedlington Squadron Air Cadets – I visited the squadron in Bedlington myself a few months ago and saw what a fantastic group of children and volunteers this is. A fantastic asset for Bedlington and the surrounding areas.

Bridge Northumberland – Bridge Northumberland have been a crucial community asset over the past few years helping hundreds of people retrain and get back into employment.

Calmer Therapy – Calmer Therapy are an organisation that provide invaluable support to families with children with additional needs not just in Wansbeck but across the wider North East region.

Cambois Miners Institute Boxing Club – The boxing club are a brilliant community resource getting kids and young adults off the streets and into a sport which instils the virtues of hard work and discipline as well as a source of physical activity and socialising. They have been incredibly successful in producing top quality boxers at the national level and continue to go form strength to strength.

Cambois Primary School – This brilliant and their fantastic set of teachers go above and beyond to support their children as well as the wider community in Cambois.

Claire’s Chance – Claire’s Chance are a charity set up in support of Claire Wealleans who sadly died earlier this year. Claire’s bravery and perseverance throughout her illness was an immense source of inspiration for the whole community in South east Northumberland and she is sorely missed.

Ella Bond – Ella has worked incredibly hard over the past year raising funds for the Blyth Wildlife Trust to support the local environment and wildlife here in Northumberland.

Friends of Ashington Community Woods – A wonderful set of volunteers dedicated to growing, protecting, and promoting the community woods in Ashington.

Full Circle Food – Full Circle Food based in Hirst Park have had another fantastic year in the heart of the community in Ashington. Their outstanding group of volunteers have done incredible work supporting the community in particular in their work helping educate families on healthy eating and cooking on a budget.

Heart of the Hirst – Heart of the Hirst have been at the centre of the community in Ashington organising community events including most recently their annual Christmas in the Park.

SENRUG – The South East Northumberland Rail User Group are an incredibly well informed and organised group of campaigners who have been instrumental in championing the rail service here in Northumberland from fighting cuts to the station in Morpeth to helping make the Northumberland Line a reality.

Stobhill Link – Stobhill Link provide a wide range of tailor -made support in the Stobhill community from a school uniform bank, employability training, a community garden and much, much more.

The Alligator Klub – The Alligator Klub has been running monthly discos for people with extra needs for over a decade now and are only growing and going from strength to strength.

Wansbeck Valley Foodbank – Once again the WVFB has been a lifeline for so many families across Wansbeck struggling to make ends meet. As the cost of living crisis continues to worsen their work and army of volunteers have sadly never been more important.

YMCA Northumberland – The YMCA and their outstanding team continue to be a staple of the community in Ashington and wider South East Northumberland providing invaluable support to young people who need it most.

VOTE HERE