Time to honour Horsham’s unsung heroes

This week we are launching the Community Awards 2015 and are inviting your nominations for the 16 categories.

And it couldn’t be easier to nominate - simply complete the short online form or fill in the form in the newspaper.

We want to hear about all those people who have inspired you, helped you and gone that extra mile for their fellow man or woman.

Some of them may be well known in the community for their exceptional public service.

These include people like Horsham Poppy Appeal organiser Diana Loates, who won the County Times Achievement Award in the 2014 Community Awards and John Le Rossignol, who received the Special Recognition Award for all his hard work with the Rotary Club of Horsham.

Then there are those people we would never know about unless our readers highlight them to us.

Last year these included Katrina Greenfield-Osgood from Roffey, who won the Best Neighbour Award.

She was described by one of her neighbours as an amazing woman, who would help anyone with a problem.

Last year’s Volunteer of the Year was Pulborough based Lorraine Dale, who was nominated by her son Martin for her hard work fundraising for Cancer Research.

Another otherwise unsung hero in the south of the district was Best Fundraiser Jenny Kern, who has helped raise almost £700,000 in 19 years for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Other categories for nominations are the 999 Award, Health Worker Award, Friend of the Environment Award, Outstanding Teacher, Best Community Organisation, the Care for Animals Award, Charity of the Year, Local Hero, Public Service Award, the Good Sport Award and Best Volunteer Group Award.

Over the coming weeks we will be looking in more detail into each one and also speaking to some of last year’s winners.

Nominations run until October 1 2015 and judging begins ahead of the glitzy Community Award ceremony at The Capitol theatre, Horsham.

This year, following the great success of the Othellos drama group performing at the County Times’ annual Youth Awards, they will be back again.

Earlier this year, there was not a dry eye in the house as the group from the Ariel Company Theatre, took to the stage. Each of the members has some sort of physical or learning disability, which they overcome to give a powerful and emotive performance like no other.

It is a night to remember for all the good reasons and a real chance to honour the great, good and most humble of our towns and district.

So be a part of it and nominate those people who have made a difference to you.

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