Pride of Manchester Awards 2019

Unsung heroes from across Manchester will step into the spotlight tonight - at the first EVER Pride of Manchester awards.

Prizes will be handed out to inspirational fundraisers, cancer survivors and people who've done extraordinary things.

There will also be a special award for the Spirit of Manchester, to honour the way the city came together after the 2017 Manchester Arena bomb and refused to let hate triumph over love.

Celebrities taking part include current Manchester United and England footballers, sporting legends and some of the biggest stars from Manchester and beyond.

Corrie star Kym Marsh is hosting, and says, “What these people have achieved, often against almost insurmountable odds, is truly humbling. This is going to be such an inspirational celebration, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”

As well as being honoured with a Pride of Manchester Award, all winners will go forward to the judging process for the Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards, in partnership with TSB, which are screened on ITV in the Autumn.

Here's the full list of inspirational winners:

Judges Special Award – The Spirit of Manchester

Amid the hundreds of Pride of Manchester nominations received, there were many for the inspirational people who have helped Manchester heal after the May 2017 bombing. They include fundraisers, survivors, campaigners and community leaders.

Impossible to pick just one person to receive an award, the judges are awarding a Judges’ Special Award to honour the incredible Spirit of Manchester and the way the city has come together, refusing to let hate triumph over love, or division over unity.

This award is for the whole city, for everyone who has opened their heart and offered a helping hand since the awful night of the attack.

Lifetime Achievement – Neil Cliffe, 85, Cheshire

For four decades Neil Cliffe has been fundraising and supporting cancer patients and their families after beating the disease himself.

Diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 45 in 1981, Neil promised the surgeon who carried out his life-saving surgery, he would raise funds to buy an endoscope machine. It was only the start of a lifelong devotion to helping others and raising money which included a Buy A Brick Appeal to raise funds to build a centre for Cancer patients and their families in the grounds of Wythenshaw Hospital.

After enlisting the support of Coronation Street stars and players from Manchester United and Manchester and raising more than £1million, the Neil Cliffe Centre opened in 1992 to provide holistic services including counselling, acupuncture and hair loss treatment for patients with life-limiting illnesses. It was the first of its kind to be built within an NHS hospital and aimed to support people right from the point of diagnosis through to treatment and beyond.

Today the centre supports thousands of people from across Manchester and Neil, now in his 80s, continues to inspire volunteers and raise funds to keep it running. He has run more than 70 marathons and half marathons and has given talks at hundreds of events.

TSB Community Partner – Dena Murphy, 90, Manchester

Green-fingered great gran Dena helps offenders carry out community service by using her love of gardening to help criminals learn new skills and repay their debt to society. So far, she has helped 300 ex-offender’s complete community service orders by teaching them allotment gardening.

Dena often works three hours a day on her allotment in the Manchester district of New Moston, where she has lived for 23 years. Growing 23 types of fruit and veg she provides a weekly three course lunch for around 50 pensioners from New Moston. She also runs a takeaway service delivering meals to elderly people who are housebound.

Child of Courage – Anya Ottley, 7, Bolton

Anya is a courageous little girl whose performance of ‘Fight Song’ while battling cancer racked up one million views on YouTube.

Diagnosed with a very rare form of kidney cancer in November 2017, Anya underwent major surgery to have her left kidney removed. Although the surgery was successful, she had to undergo 28 rounds of intensive chemotherapy at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

While undergoing treatment Anya took to the stage at a family friend’s wedding and sang the poignant lyrics ‘this is my fight song, take back my life song, prove I’m alright song’ to a tearful crown who cheered her on. The video went viral on YouTube amassing more than one million views and inspiring people all over the world.

Anya finished her treatment in July 2018 and alongside her family has raised nearly £20,000 for the Little Princess Trust and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

Young Fundraiser – Emma Harris, 15, Cheshire

Emma, 15 has raised more than £20,000 for the Cheshire Down’s Syndrome Support Group, by selling gingerbread ‘sock’ biscuits in her local community, after they supported her family.

Born with Down’s Syndrome, Emma launched the gingerbread sock appeal two years ago. Together with her dad Chris she approached a local bakery about producing the biscuits to be sold on World Down’s Syndrome Day to raise funds and awareness.

Emma’s idea has not only helped raise the profile of the charity, which supports more than 100 individuals with Down’s Syndrome and their families, but it has also raised awareness amongst more than 10,000 school children.

Emergency Services – PC Mohammed Nadeem, 32, Rochdale

PC Mohammed Nadeem had only been in the job for nine months when he answered a radio call last February over concerns for a man near Hardy’s Gate Bridge.

Arriving first on the scene, PC Nadeem saw the man lose his footing and fall into the river. Without any thought for his own safety, he immediately scrambled down banking and jumped into the fast-flowing, freezing water.

Over the next 20 minutes PC Nadeem, who admitted he is “not a great swimmer”, battled to keep the man from drowning and finally managed to haul him against the current to the safety of the bank.

Outstanding Bravery – Joe Smalley, 33, Stockport

Joe was about to go to bed one evening when he heard screaming from outside his window. He looked out and saw a woman being dragged down a nearby alley by a terrifying armed attacker.

Risking his own safety, he ran outside to find the victim kneeling on the ground. As he went to help, her attacker charged at him from behind and attempted to slash him with a knife.

Despite suffering a cut to his hand, Joe managed to block the attack, knocking the attacker to the floor and forcing him to rush off.

The victim, a teenager, had been walking home from Hazel Grove train station when she was grabbed from behind and had a knife held to her throat in the sexually motivated attack.

Fundraiser of the Year – Bryn Hughes, 52, Huddersfield

When Bryn’s 23-year-old daughter PC Nicola Hughes was murdered by fugitive Dale Creegan in 2012, the former prison officer could have crumbled.

Instead he channeled his grief into helping others. He launched the PC Nicola Hughes Memorial Fund, raising money with challenges such as the North Pole Marathon in 2014 and the New York Marathon in 2016. This year Bryn is organising ‘A Run to Remember’.

To date, Bryn has raised more than £300,000. Providing support, educational opportunities and career training for young people bereaved by violent crime, he helps them to find some hope after the horror. Some of the funds has also paid for training of nearly 100 volunteers who now work for Victim Support and Bryn hopes that future funds will go towards a national memorial to honour all fallen PCs.

Special Recognition – Eric Cavannagh, 79, Manchester

Eric was on a night out with his wife at Brackley Conservative Club in September 2017 when the buzzer rang at 10.10pm.

A female member of staff opened the door and was bundled out of the way by a woman and two men armed with a machete and a handgun.

With no thought for his own safety Eric jumped to his feet and tackled the man with the gun, grabbing the weapon by the barrell and pushing him away. During the grapple with the gunman Eric was also attacked by the other robber with the machete, which severed his finger.

Crucially, Eric’s actions gave the club stewardess time to press the panic alarm button and the robbers were forced to flee empty handed. They were later caught and jailed.

Special Recognition – Pauline Town, 50, Greater Manchester

Pub landlady Pauline, who runs The Station in Ashton-under-Lyme, looks after the homeless with packed lunches and practical support and advice to help them get off the streets.

Pauline started her mission when a man called Ben knocked on the door of her pub in 2013. He had mental health issues, learning difficulties and was begging on the street. She started by letting Ben in for a cup of tea and then over five or six months helped get him personal independence payments and accommodation. She even helped get him back in touch with his daughter for the first time in 15 years.

Since then, Pauline has helped more than 200 homeless people off the streets and into accommodation. Every day at the pub, she hands out 60 packed lunches to homeless people offering practical support and advice as well as sandwiches. Whilst everyone is welcome, Pauline has a zero-tolerance approach to drink and drugs on the premises.

Special Recognition – Alex Johnson, 34, Lancashire

Alex founded Duchenne UK after his son Jack was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2011. The rare, degenerative muscle-wasting disease mainly affects boys and leaves them needing a wheelchair by their teens. Few survive beyond their 20s.

In 2012, Alex and husband Andy, a former rugby league player, set up Joining Jack to raise money for research into the disease. They have since raised more than £2 million for clinical trials.

As well as fundraising and increasing awareness, Alex has become a powerful voice in the Duchenne community, campaigning for earlier access to medicines and investment in a promising gene therapy programme which could help all boys with Duchenne.

Duchenne UK has now directly funded three clinical trials and 13 research projects, funds 16 clinical trial staff and special £4 million on direct research grants.

Special Recognition – Patsy McKie, 71, Manchester

After her son was shot dead amid spiraling gang violence in Manchester, Patsy set up Mothers Against Violence to help keep other young people safe.

Patsy’s youngest son Dorrie was killed in August 1999, weeks before he was due to start a sports and leisure course at college. The 20-year-old was not directly involved in gangs and had never been in trouble with the police.

Se up for women whose relatives or friends have been victims, or are at risk of gang violence, Mothers Against Violence, now in its 20th year, provides mentoring support, educational awareness of gun and knife crime, counselling and support for young people to find work or start businesses.

The impact of the group has been tangible. In the year Dorrie dies, there were 270 shots fired, 43 gun-related injuries and seven-gun murders in Manchester. Figures published last year revealed that in the North West of England 28 gunshot victims were taken to hospital over the past year – half the number of a decade ago