Mitchells, at Westlea, Seaham, is in line for a Pride in Easington award for brightening up its environment and helping to raise bumper amounts of cash for charity.

Staff at the pub have worked hard to create a memorial garden for David Pattison who died, aged 19, after suffering from Alexander's Leukodystrophy, which causes curvature of the spine and affects mobility.

The popular teenager, of Webb Avenue, Seaham, lived around the corner from the pub and had championed the rights of other disabled children.

Staff installed the garden in May and have also found the time for other community work including organising three major find-raising events a year, which can raise up to £3,000 each.

Karen Craig, who is personal assistant to owners Heather Mitchell and Helen Sutherland, said: "David would come in here on the times when he was fit enough and we wanted to do something to honour him.

"We are a community pub and we just want to give things back to the community."

The pub also helps older residents in the area by delivering meals to them.

Easington District Positive Inclusion Partnership (Edpip), which aims to promote the positive inclusion of disabled children and their families, has also benefited from the pub's big-hearted gestures.

Past fund-raising days have included a sponsored wheelchair push, an auction and bush tucker trials. Plans are now in the pipeline for the next event on May 17.

People have until March 31 to nominate an individual or group which has improved lives and made a valuable contribution in the district.

Categories are: Volunteer of the year over 18; Volunteer of the year under 18; Tidy Ted award; Group of the year; Youth group of the year; Business award, Environmental award and Achiever of the year/against the odds.

Successful nominees will be recognised at a glittering awards ceremony at Shotton Hall Conference Centre on June 5, which will be hosted by BBC presenter Wendy Gibson.

For more information contact Easington District Council, tel: 527 0501.
To download an entry form log on to www.sunderlandecho.com