Bradford’s stars came out to shine last night at an awards ceremony to celebrate the selfless and unsung heroes of the district.

Some of the most hard-working Bradfordians who have made valuable contributions to their communities were rewarded with medals at the Community Stars Awards in City Hall, Bradford, last night.

The event, being held by the Telegraph & Argus and Bradford Council for the second time, saw nominations pour in after readers were asked to send in names of those they felt went the extra mile to make life better for their neighbourhoods.

This year the awards were looking for a community champion, community group, good neighbour, volunteer, young active citizen and a fundraiser, as well as new sports maker award to honour those who embody the Olympic spirit.

After nominations flooded in to the T&A a panel of judges had the difficult task of coming up with a shortlist of three for each category.

On the night, the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Dale Smith, was on hand to hand out the specially-commissioned medals to the winners of each category.

He said the awards marked the achievements of individuals and community organisations making a real difference to the lives of people throughout the Bradford District.

He said: “In this wonderful year of celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee I have travelled all over the district. I am really impressed with the great support shown in the fundraising meals and activities for the Lord Mayor’s appeal and I know the hard work that goes into organising such events.

“The awards panel found it a real challenge to shortlist the 47 amazing nominations and the thousands of votes cast shows the real impact these nominees have. Tonight it is a real honour to be able to reward our Community Stars with medals and certificates and celebrate the success of all the volunteers in Bradford with you.”

The shortlists in each category were revealed at the end of October when the T&A produced a special supplement to give readers the chance to vote for those they thought were most deserving in each category.

Bradford Council deputy leader Councillor Imran Hussain, who spoke at the ceremony, said the event was one of the many practical initiatives outlined in the district’s Volunteering Strategy.

He said: “Working closely with our partners in health services, housing and emergency services we have increased the numbers of people who are volunteering and we have improved the support available to the community organisations that host the volunteers.”

T&A deputy editor Damian Holmes said those nominated for the awards showed what made the district such a special place.

He said: “The 21 shortlisted individuals and organisations here today, and the dozens other people and groups who were nominated, all offer the kind of inspirational stories of local achievement that is found in our community.

“And it makes me proud to be able to stand here representing the Telegraph & Argus, to be involved in such a humbling and inspiring event. Your stories all need to be told.

“They are motivational; they are hopeful; they are positive; and they are powerful. They highlight the very best our community has to offer.

“The people here this evening show the good news stories that make the Bradford District such a special place. Their stories come from right across the district, from all walks of life, across different generations and from many communities and faiths.”

THE WINNERS:

Community Champion - Leanne Thorne

Leanne has gained a lot of respect from residents and professionals alike through her volunteering in Allerton and Lower Grange.
Leanne, the chairman of Friends of Lady Hill Park, in Allerton, and a committed member and volunteer of Lower Grange Community Centre, has worked hard to ensure the two remain as focal points for residents and helping them to build a better quality of life for themselves.
The 32-year-old, of Allerton, helped secure and co-ordinated more than £100,000 of funding to create a play and activity play area at Lady Hill Park.
She said: “I’ve never won anything in my life, so this is the first time – I wasn’t expecting it. I just love making a difference to people.”

Community Group - St Mary's Centre

The centre, in Laisterdyke, in an easily accessible hub providing a wealth of services for the poor of Bradford.
No less than five projects run from the centre, including The Curry Project on two nights of the week, The Immanuel Project on Monday and The Welcome on Friday, which both serve breakfast and lunch.
There are also two support groups for recovering addicts on Monday and Thursday evenings, while a Zimbabwean church worships in the hall on Sunday and the Bradford Metropolitan Foodbank uses the church building on the same site.
For the past three years it has also been a venue for Inn Church’s Winter Shelter for the Homeless.
Lashman Singh of Bradford Foodbank collected the award on the night.
He said: “It is absolutely great for us, it goes without saying. It just goes to show we have been recognised for the work that we do.”

Community Sports Maker - Tom Brown

Tom’s enthusiasm, persistence and encouragement to get people into sport has directly led to more than 40 players forming seven teams in a semi-competitive environment, every Wednesday.
Tom, who works part time in the Bradford Royal Infirmary canteen, attends sports makers events and has inspired many others to become sports makers, while supporting the FA’s Get Into Football scheme to establish an NHS five-a-side football league.
Some of the people who have become involved in sport because of Tom have been taking part in active sports for up to a decade, but are now reaping the benefits because of his organisational skills and motivation.
The 20-year-old, of Fairweather Green, said: “It’s a great pleasure to be recognised for all the hard work and effort I have put in the past year.
“I did a placement with Bradford Council and I’ve just been inspired by all the great work they do.”

Good Neighbour - Zena Mozil

Multi-lingual 84-year-old Zena Mozil uses her talent for languages, alongside her energy and drive, to help her be a focal point for many parts of the Shipley community.
She has lived in Shipley since leaving war-torn Poland and Ukraine in 1947 and helps her huge social network of people with different nationalities through being able to communicate in English, Polish, Russian, Italian, Ukrainian and German.
Zena, who cared for her husband for 17 years after he became disabled following a stroke, does shopping or a 75-year-old disabled neighbour and has also carried out years of voluntary service with the Polish Club.
She said: “I can’t believe it, I’m shocked and I would like to thank everybody who nominated me, especially Shipley Labour Club because all my friends there voted for me, as well as all my neighbours. I always try my best because I like to help people.”

Young Active Citizen - Jordan Green

Regular volunteer Jordan gives his time to a number of youth projects across Holme Wood, including The Edge.
As well as giving up many hours a week to help younger people he also helps build websites for voluntary groups across Bradford – all while doing his GCSEs at Tong High School last year, before moving on to do his AS levels at the sixth form.
He has volunteered to design websites for five local projects and has spent many hours putting sites together and arranging meetings to support projects in web design.
The 17-year-old, of Holme Wood, said: “I’m thrilled – I have put a lot of effort in.
“It’s just about being able to put something back into the community. I have helped a children’s group called Pop for about a year and a half now and seeing the children get so much out of my knowledge and my experience is, I think, just rewarding in itself.”

Volunteer - Jaeesha Ali

Jaeesha is one of a team of Community Chellows who volunteer to support others in their neighbourhood. They offer help and advice and can put people in touch with agencies if they need specific help.
The 34-year-old, of Heaton, is also a volunteer for the Bradford Doulas project which trains community volunteers to work with expectant mums from about two months before the birth to about six weeks after.
And as if this wasn’t enough, Jaeesha donates hours of her time to promote Book Start, attending regular home visits to help families encourage reading, along with other regular voluntary groups such as Venture, which works to get the elder generations of all faiths together.
She said: “I didn’t think I was going to win it, I thought there would be people doing much more than myself. But I love doing my volunteer work, I just love helping other people.”

Fundraiser - Maureen Wood

For three years Maureen has been a champion of the dignity room at Airedale Hospital, which looks to bring some of the home comforts to those who are left bewildered by a sudden hospital visit.
The 61-year-old, of Keighley, makes it her mission to secure supplies of clothing and toiletries for the dignity room, sourcing new, good-quality items from shops and contacting wholesalers to persuade them to make donations.
She’s even been known to travel as far as Manchester on the hunt for items.
She said: “It’s absolutely tremendous. I have been a volunteer for 20 years and this is the first time I’ve ever been nominated because normally I like to be in the background.
“Last year we helped 1,500 people with clothing, toiletries and everything else, so it’s absolutely imperative the work that’s done.”