Last updated at 14:01, Friday, 09 January 2009

Do you know an unsung community hero who Loves Barrow?
The Evening Mail is supporting this year's efforts to find six worthy citizens.
NICOLA PARK reports

• Click to here nominate someone you know

PREVIOUSLY known as the Furness Community Achievement Awards, the Love Barrow Community Awards 2009 will pay tribute to dedicated people who give their time, effort and skills to make our community a better place to live.
There are many projects and people within our community that go unrewarded for the inspiring work and services they provide so we are inviting Evening Mail readers to nominate the people they think are most deserving of the awards.
This year extra categories for three professions; carers, teachers and emergency service workers, have been added to the awards and you, the readers, will be able to vote for the finalists.
The six categories are:

• Young Citizen of the Year

• Citizen of the Year

• Group or Project of the Year

• Carer of the Year

• Teacher of the Year

• 999 hero of the Year

Barrow PC John Irving is helping to coordinate the awards. He said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for people in and around Furness to nominate young people, groups and active citizens who make a difference to people's everyday lives in and around the borough.
“A lot of work goes unrecognised by some very special people and I want to encourage local residents to put pen to paper and tell us about the work they do.”
Evening Mail editor Jonathan Lee said: “We are really proud to support the Love Barrow Community Awards. We know there are many unsung heroes and heroines out there who quietly go about their business, going above and beyond the call of duty.
“The awards are all about celebrating community spirit, which we know is incredibly strong in Barrow. Please get in touch and let us know who you think deserves recognition for their fantastic contribution to the community.”
Last year’s winners of the third annual Furness Community Achievement Awards proved that community spirit is alive and well in Barrow.
The Citizen of the Year was awarded jointly to pensioner husband and wife team Lily and Crawford Whyte. Both in their mid-80s, they have worked selflessly with the Building Bridges project in schools for nearly a decade.
The Group of the Year went to the Hospital Equipment Fund for Furness for its efforts in raising money for Furness General Hospital.
The award for Young Citizen of the Year was given to Mark Hughes, then 16, for coaching St Bernard’s pupils and using his own birthday money to buy equipment.
A special award for Outstanding Contribution to the Community went to Graham Bromley, who has spent his own time cracking down on crime and improving community life in Central Ward.
A Special Recognition Award for Services to the Community was awarded to Duddon Inshore Rescue, and the Community Press Volunteer of the Year was Steve Hillman.

The sponsors of the Love Barrow Community Awards are:

• Barrow Borough Council

• West Lakes Renaissance

• Furness Building Society

• Barrow Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership

• Streetsafe

• Cumbria police

• Cumbria Fire and Rescue

• North West Evening Mail

The organisers are a committee including police, fire, CDRP, neighbourhood management, North West Evening Mail, Cumbria County Council

First published at 09:04, Friday, 09 January 2009
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk