Help us find the heroes of Wearside

The Best of Wearside Awards are back and we want to honour your personal community favourites.

It doesn’t matter how many nominations you put in. The more the merrier.

Just get those entries in and let’s make sure that Wearside and County Durham’s true community champions get the praise they deserve.

We want to make 2018 extra special for some of the area’s finest people and you can help by nominating them

There are 10 great categories covering everything from a student who has excelled to a Local Hero who has gone to extraordinary lengths to help others.

It might be someone who is great at sport, an individual who has made a difference in their neighbourhood, a child of achievement or child of courage.

Take a look at the list of categories and the criteria below, and decide which best suits your cause.

And then simply follow the instructions on how to enter.

This year’s competition has backing from Gentoo as partner sponsors and Calsonic Kansei as category sponsors.

We hope you will inundate us with entries and make the job of the judges that much harder.

It will also mean that you’ve shown us that Sunderland and the surrounding area is packed with people who make a difference in their neighbourhood.

Take a look at the categories below, read the entry instructions, and your favourite cause will be a step closer to hopefully winning a Best of Wearside title.

And good luck everyone!

THE CATEGORIES:

Local Hero

Green Champion

Student of the Year

Fundraiser of the Year

Volunteer of the Year

Sporting Achievement

Community Group

Community Champion

Child of Achievement

Child of Courage

HOW TO ENTER:

To nominate, send your name, address and telephone number, as well as your email address, if applicable. Remember to include the category you are putting your nominated cause into.

Also send the name of the person you wish to nominate, along with their address, telephone number and email (if known). Send all of that to Lynn Wild by no later than

Email those entries to [email protected] or send them to Lynn Wild, Alexander House, Second Floor, Rainton Bridge Business Park, Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland. DH4 5RA.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT:

There’s plenty of time to get those entries in. You can nominate up until the deadline of Wednesday, February 28. The panel of judges will meet days later to draw up this year’s shortlist of contenders. Those who are still in the running will learn their fate at the grand finale at the Stadium of Light on Thursday, March 15.

After the event, we’ll bring you a colour supplement with photographs and interviews from the night.

WHAT MAKES A HERO:

We’ve got the answers for people thinking of nominating a worthy cause for a Best of Wearside Award.

Here’s a guide to the criteria for each of the catgeories in this year’s competition.

Local Hero: It recognises people who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and bravery whilst serving for our country and in everyday life.

Green Champion: A person or group of people who actively work/live/promote green issues and green living to the benefit of the community.

Student of the Year: The judges are looking for individuals who have achieved results that many thought previously unachievable. It can be from achieving excellent grades at school, sixth form or University, overcoming learning difficulties through the education process, through to doing a further education course later in life just because they wanted to.

Fundraiser of the Year: This could go to any person or group who has made a difference to a charity or cause by their hard work and dedication.

Volunteer of the Year: A person who freely gives there time to help others for no financial gain.

Sporting Achievement: This award not only recognises sporting skill but also recognises drive, ambition, and determination even in the face of adversity..

Community Group: A group of people, whether they are paid or volunteers, who have made a real difference in the community. The award will be made to a group whose time, effort, support and aspirations have improved an area in Wearside for the benefit of those who live, work and play there.

Community Champion: Anyone who you think has made a significant contribution to your community.

Child of Achievement: A child who has demonstrated exceptional achievement in their life. They may have overcome great odds or made sacrifices above and beyond the call of duty. .

Child of Courage: A child who has shown exceptional courage in their life. The nominee may have shown courage in dealing with an illness or battling through a traumatic experience.

To nominate, just send your name, address and telephone number, as well as your email address, if applicable. Remember to include the category you are putting your nominated cause into.

Also send the name of the person you wish to nominate, along with their address, telephone number and email (if known).

Send all of that to Lynn Wild by no later than Wednesday, February 28.

Email those entries to [email protected] or send them to Lynn Wild, Alexander House, Second Floor, Rainton Bridge Business Park, Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland. DH4 5RA.