In the running to be the Best of Wearside

Here are the superb community heroes who are still in the running to pick up honours in this year’s competition.

They include fantastic fundraisers, super sportspeople and community groups who do fantastic work in their neighbourhoods.

The panel of judges has drawn up this year’s shortlist of contenders.

All of them have been invited to the final which will be held at the Stadium of Light on Thursday, March 15, where they will find out if they have won.

That means they have just two days to go to find out if they will be lifting a well-deserved trophy.

But the message from the judges to all of this year’s contenders is ‘you are doing wonderful things in your neighbourhoods. You are all winners whether you pick up an award on Thursday night or not’.”

It promises to be a wonderful evening of celebration and our reporting team will be there to follow all the action - and to reveal all of the winners.

Thanks go as always to our wonderful sponsors for helping to make the event a success. This year, they are Gentoo, Stagecoach in Sunderland, Calsonic Kansei, Vantec, Riverview Leisure Park and Sunderland’s Business Improvement District.

Follow the evening’s action on social media as well as on the Sunderland Echo website.

And once the event is over, you can find out how it all went thanks to a supplement in the Sunderland Echo on Wednesday, March 21.

It will include more photographs as well as interviews with all of our winners - plus a round-up of all the highlights of the Best of Wearsude Awards night.

In the meantime, here are the shortlisted contenders - and good luck to everyone on them!

Local Hero.

Blue Watch, Marley Park fire station.

Violet Atkinson.

Green Watch, Farringdon fire station.

Green Champion.

Carole Attwell.

The Galleries.

Adam Lawson.

Fundraiser of the Year.

Julie Reay.

Roger Morrison.

Phoebe Hedley.

Scott Baker.

Volunteer of the Year.

Happier Days For Strays.

Include in Autisum.

Jeff Sulkiewicz.

Sporting Achievement.

Josh Waddell.

Luke Robinson.

Scott Baker.

Community Group.

Hope 4 kids.

Box Youth Project.

Fulwell Library.

Pennywell Youth Project.

Cuckoo songwriters group.

Gateway stars and mini stars.

Community Champion.

Rose Blake.

Matt Harris.

Karen Wood.

Julie Judson.

Child of Achievement.

Tahnee Kelly.

Ellie White.

Sophie Louise Bulmer.

Shanice Davidson.

Bethany Elliott.

Child Of Courage.

Chloe Gray.

Lucas Wilkin.

Millie Fountain.

Hayden Gray.

Josie King.

Eden Wilde.

Hunter Maskell.

Anya Clarkson- McKenna.

Theo Schofield.

Sam Stewart.

Theo Dawes.

The winners of the Mak’em Smile Award and Special Recognition category will be revealed on the night.