The Community Harmony Awards, announced last night, are a showcase for the fantastic work which is going on in Bradford at grassroots level to make this a better place for all of us. This scheme has had stunning success in bringing out examples of people who are working hard on a voluntary basis for the good of the wider community, without pay and often without recognition of their efforts and achievements.

The 40 nominees who gathered at City Hall for this celebration of the great work being done by ordinary people to promote harmony and build bridges between Bradfordians of different cultures all have a great deal to be proud of. Driven by a determination to make a difference in the daily lives of those around them, they provide an example to us all.

As the Lord Mayor, Councillor Allan Hillary, said, a volunteer who sees the need in others and does something about it is a very special person. The example set by all these nominees as well as the six award winners hopefully will encourage others to seek out something they too can do to help Bradford discover a sense of harmony which can make the city a beacon to the wider world.

The Telegraph & Argus is very pleased to have supported these awards again for their second year. We hope they will continue for years to come. If the people who were at last night's awards ceremony are a representative sample, then the future of community harmony in Bradford is in good hands.