Manchester's unsung heroes celebrated in Pride of Manchester awards

The Pride of Manchester Awards are back to honour the region’s unsung heroes and to celebrate those ordinary Mancunians who have done truly extraordinary things.

Coronavirus restrictions may have again ruled out the usual glittering red carpet dinner, but we have not let that stop us honouring our incredible winners in a unique celebration, hosted by actor Kym Marsh.

The inspirational winners will be celebrated in a COVID-safe show at Manchester’s Midland Hotel. Packed with emotional moments, winners receive their awards with some jaw dropping celebrity surprises, when the Pride of Manchester Awards premieres on YouTube on Thursday 27th May at 7pm.

Dozens of famous faces from Manchester and beyond are taking part in the show, including David Walliams, Emma Bunton, Marcus Rashford, Steph Houghton, David Jason, Piers Morgan, Sue Johnston, Naga Munchetty, John Thomson, and Amanda Holden.

All of this year’s Pride of Manchester winners will go forward to the judging process for the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, in partnership with TSB, which are screened on ITV in the Autumn.

Kym Marsh said: "Pride of Manchester is so close to my heart, and I absolutely loved meeting this year's amazing winners. You can't help but be inspired by their stories, and it's a wonderful show."

Read the full list of inspirational winners below:

Lifetime Achievement Award – Christine Burns, 67, Manchester

Pioneering transgender activist who played a pivotal role in helping her community campaign for vital human rights.

Christine’s journey started in the 1950s when no one talked openly about trans issues. As a child, she says she wondered: “Am I the only one like me?”

She says: “The only thing you got was what you could find in the Sunday papers, and that’s not a really good way to learn about yourself. I realised, 'Oh God there is a word for me and that’s not a good thing to be!'"

In 1993 she joined Press for Change, campaigning on the rights and treatment of trans people. She was a leading light in a series of successful legal challenges. The PFC won a case in the European Court of Justice to protect employment rights. In 1998 they won a High Court case over access to NHS treatment and in 2002 the European Court of Justice agreed to the right of privacy and the right to marry.

Later, she negotiated with ministers drafting the 2004 Gender Recognition Act, the world's first legislation allowing people to change their legal gender. She also developed the first ever trans guidance for the Department of Health and worked tirelessly to combat negative portrayals of trans people in the media and popular culture, advising soaps including Coronation Street, and news organisations on how to cover crimes involving trans people.

Christine, who chaired the North West Equality and Diversity Group and is a patron of LGBGT North West, made her own transgender background public in 1995. She says: “I believe strongly that if you are going to represent people then they need to see who you are, what you stand up for and what you’re about, you can’t be a hidden figure.”

Marcus Rashford Children’s Champion, Christie Spurling, 45, Manchester

After a challenging childhood of his own, this inspirational mentor has dedicated his life to helping give kids like him a brighter future.

Christie was adopted by a white family and grew up in a village outside Manchester where he was one of only three black boys. He found it hard to identify, struggled in school, and was eventually expelled and placed in a full-time residential unit.

His disengagement led to years of joblessness, until he discovered a passion for working with young people, and aged 30, started a project to help youngsters who had slipped through the cracks. N-Gage reaches out to kids at risk of educational or social exclusion, offering new opportunities and skills to achieve their potential.

Christie worked with police to start a network of community volunteers and gave one-to-one support to youngsters himself. Now the charity has a mobile youth club - a 25-seater bus kitted out with games consoles, tablets and music technology to engage with teenagers.

Prior to the pandemic Christie and his team engaged regularly with around 300 young people a year and indirectly with more than 1,000 in schools. He has recently been awarded an MBE for his dedication to the young people of Manchester.

Special Recognition Award – Mike (37) and Lucy (36) Carroll, Poynton, Cheshire

Parents who have spent five years battling on behalf of their two sick children, as well as raising money to help others facing the same plight.

Amelia Carroll, eight, and her older brother Ollie, ten, were diagnosed with the rare neurodegenerative condition Batten Disease in 2015. Over time the disease robs children of their speech, mobility, eyesight and ability to swallow.

Ollie, sadly, cannot now walk or talk, and is blind. For almost two years Mike and Lucy, from Poynton, fought and eventually won access to ground-breaking treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital, funded by a pharmaceutical company. The treatment, which replaces enzymes missing from the brain of a child with Batten Disease, consists of four hour-long infusions, twice monthly.

Ollie's condition deteriorated during the fight for the treatment, but Amelia became one of the youngest children in the UK to receive the therapy. The couple are now campaigning to have the treatment made available at Manchester Children’s Hospital. They are also trying to raise £250,000 for medics at Great Ormond Street to start a new clinical trial to help save the eyesight of patients including Amelia.

Special Recognition Award – Sam Thompson, 26, Newarkshire (formerly from Manchester)

Male rape survivor who has campaigned to raise awareness and reduce stigma and worked with police to advise them on how to deal with victims.

In September 2016, Sam was raped by two men in a Manchester hotel room after meeting them on a night out. He went to a police station but says reporting the crime made the ordeal worse as he was asked questions about his sexuality and made to feel he was not telling the truth.

He considered ending his life, his relationship with his girlfriend broke down, and after police said there was not enough evidence to charge the two men, he suffered a breakdown. A specialist officer dealing with his case put him in touch with Survivors Manchester, an organisation which works exclusively with male victims of sexual abuse.

Sam had counselling and has since become a Survivors ambassador, even working with Coronation Street as a script advisor on the David Platt rape storyline. His story is now used by the charity to help train GMP officers on how to deal with male survivors of sexual violence.

Emergency Services Award – Sgt Lee Valentine (32) , DC Marsha Selby (29) , DC Ashleigh Williams (28) and DC Tom Wright (28), Adam Ward , 28, Miah Uddin (39), Manchester

British Transport Police officers ran to tackle a terrorist knifeman at Manchester’s Victoria Station after a triple stabbing on New Year’s Eve 2018.

Sgt Valentine and his colleagues were on patrol at the station, near the Manchester Arena, when they heard screams. A man with a knife had attacked people waiting on the platform. A couple in their 50s received multiple stab wounds to the face and stomach.

Without thinking of their own safety, the officers ran towards the man. The officers used Tasers and pepper spray to subdue the attacker, with the support of two Metrolink Travel Safe staff, Adam and Miah.

British Transport Police Chief Constable Paul Crowther praised their bravery during the December 2018 incident, saying they averted a far greater tragedy. “They all performed way beyond what we might expect someone of their service to do. I think it's a real testament to their bravery and their disregard for their own personal safety to get stuck in and do what they did.”

Mahdi Mohamud, 26, admitted three counts of attempted murder and was jailed for life in December 2019.

Fundraiser of the Year Award – Frank Rothwell, 70, Oldham

Pensioner who raised £1million for dementia research with a gruelling transatlantic rowing challenge.

Frank was 70 when he rowed single-handed across the Atlantic. He set off from the Canary Islands on December 12 and reached Antigua 3,000 miles and 56 days later. He tackled the challenge in honour of his brother-in-law who suffered from Alzheimer's and who sadly died while Frank was on his historic voyage. Completing the arduous trip from San Sebastian on La Gomera to Nelson's Dockyard on Antigua, and raising the huge amount made him feel on “cloud nine”.

He is the oldest person to have completed the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, known as the ‘the world's toughest row’, and the challenge’s biggest fundraiser.

Hilary Evans, chief executive of Alzheimer's Research UK, said the charity was "honoured to have such amazing support from Frank". She added: "His courage and determination helped him to complete his epic challenge and raise £1m for dementia research and will be a huge benefit to the ground-breaking research we carry out here.”

Young Fundraisers of the Year Award – Freddie Xavi (10) and Hughie Higginson (11), Whalley, Lancashire and Higham, Burnley

When his seriously ill friend was too unwell to do a charity walk, best pal Freddie stepped in to help.

Hughie Higginson was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in September and began three years of treatment at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. He wanted to give back to the charity, so he prepared to do the Humphrey’s Lantern Walk, but on the day, he was too ill. His best friend Freddie took his place, and then came up with a challenge of his own, running 2km a day in the 50 days leading up to Christmas.

He started with the aim of raising £1,000, but the total now stands at more than £167,000. He completed the final 2km on Christmas morning, pounding the streets before opening his presents.

Child of Courage Award – Mia Hignett, 9, Middlewich, Cheshire

Quick thinking eight-year-old who saved her mum’s life by unblocking her airway after she collapsed at home.

When Mia’s mum had a seizure, the youngster quickly called 999 and with guidance from an operator cleared her airway and placed her in the recovery position. Once she was breathing, she looked after her one-year-old sister until paramedics arrived.

Mum Helen, 38, is a retired police officer with Greater Manchester Police. She was left registered disabled after being beaten up on duty 10 years ago and suffers hemiplegic migraines and hemicrania headache disorder.

Mia has been given a Blue Peter gold badge and a lifesaver's award from North West Ambulance Service. Helen said: "She saved my life. I cannot thank her enough. It was only when I came home from hospital that she broke down crying and said she realised she could have lost Mummy. She was so scared.”

Teenager of Courage Award – Kiera Arnold, 13, Oldam

Teenager who has raised more than £32,000 for the hospice which cared for her dad in his final days.

Keira was just four when her dad Stephen died of cancer, aged 28. Despite her loss, she later came up with the idea to raise money for Dr Kershaw’s Hospice in his memory.

Four years ago, she set up Keira’s Wishes to help pay for final requests of patients at the hospice and their families. Beginning with a postcard appeal in 2016, which went viral, Keira’s drive has been the inspiration behind many fundraising activities, from pub fun days to head shaves, with Keira even chopping off 12 inches of her own hair to boost the fund.

Determined to reach £25,000 by last Christmas, ‘Team Keira’s Wishes’ took part in a special dance-off in December and finally reached the milestone. Keira, 13, also makes items such as dreamcatchers, Christmas cards, bird feeders and candles which she sells at craft fairs and via Facebook to add to the fund.

Kiera’s Wishes have fulfilled the wishes of many patients including organising a private ambulance and carers to take a woman to Blackpool beach so she could dip her toes in the sea for the last time. Another patient’s final wish was to get married, and Keira’s fund paid for the meal at the reception.

Outstanding Bravery Award – Leroy Holcroft, 40, Manchester

Primary school teacher dived into the sea on holiday to save the life of a teenage bodyboarder.

Leroy was visiting his partner’s family in North Wales in August 2020 when he spotted a girl in trouble in the sea at Lligwy in Anglesey.

Without hesitating, he dived into the waves to reach the teenager, who had been swept out on a bodyboard in high winds and was about 400m from shore. The girl’s friend had managed to get out of the water and raise the alarm, telling Leroy’s partner - who called the coastguard - that she was exhausted and struggling to swim.

Leroy, who teaches at Urmston Primary, managed to summon the strength to get both back to shore before help arrived.

TSB Community Hero Award – Claire Wright (46) and Chris Squires (38), Manchester

Veterans who set up a charity to help former servicemen and women, and former members of the emergency services, struggling with civilian life.

Claire, 46, and Chris, 37, both had difficulties with their physical and mental health when they left the Navy and Army. This inspired them to offer help to other veterans, to prevent anyone from feeling alone as they had.

They set up Trafford Veterans in 2015, to lend support to veterans and former emergency service personnel who are struggling or feeling isolated, as well as their families and volunteers who help them. They started the charity with little more than a table covered with leaflets about support available.

Since then, their organisation has blossomed to include a breakfast club, a model and craft group, a walking football team, an allotment group, and a regular community drop-in session. They also provide information, advice, and guidance to get veterans in Trafford back into employment and help with referrals to mental health services. Over the past year, they have been helping their community of veterans, aged up to 101, cope with lockdown and its aftermath providing welfare checks, food parcels and hosting online events

Spirit of Manchester Award – Eden (13) and Kaitlin (10) Ashton Under Lyne

Youngsters who help mum care for their disabled sister did not leave home for five months to protect her from coronavirus.

When lockdown hit, Eden and Kaitlin decided not to leave the house to protect their shielding older sister Isabel. She has complex medical needs and is extremely clinically vulnerable. Mum Andrea says the girls did not complain once about not being able to go out and see friends for five months. Instead, they threw themselves into making sure Isabel was safe and happy.

Andrea says the girls are a huge help caring for Isabel. When she has a seizure, they will sing to her and tell jokes to help her through it. Andrea, who lives in Ashton-under-Lyne, said: "They are really close. The girls had to help me get Isabel up in the morning, help me change her, help me get her in her chair. "When Isabel has a shower, we all have our own jobs, Eden holds the shower head, Kaitlin washes her, and I do her hair. If she has a seizure when I am not in the room, they don't even shout for me anymore - they just deal with their sister having a seizure. "I had a few days where I was unwell with migraines and the girls took it in turns to make her dinner. Throughout lockdown, life revolved around Isabel. Things had to take a back seat as we had to get Isabel through it. They love her."