JUDGES have selected their finalists for the Volunteer of the Year award, celebrating those who give up hours of their spare time to aid those in need of a helping hand.

The finalists are: Brian Ward, Dawn Coleman and Michelle Copeland.

Brian Ward single-handedly organised a team of volunteers, set up rotas and set up a Covid-19-secure way to deliver more than 600 electronic tablets as part of the Keeping Connected project for charity BTM.

During the pandemic it became clear that people with learning disabilities and older people who were in residential care or living alone needed a new way to connect to others. Brian created a simple guide with pictures to help those who struggled with IT.

Brian said: “I am proud and emotional to have been associated with this achievement. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to have played my part in offering such generous help to many in such hard times. It was a big deal for many of the recipients that we managed to deliver such substantial help to them for keeping in touch with carers, friends and loved ones. The success was due in large part to the Manager of BTM - Sue Crowe and her vast network of caring officials, colleagues and volunteers from all walks of life - opticians, teachers, geeks, and British Army veterans who commissioned tablets and a furloughed SSE electrician who delivered most of them.”

Dawn Coleman runs Shipley Area School Uniform Bank for parents who are unable spend hundreds of pounds on new sets. The uniform bank creates donation points for uniform, washes and sorts each item as well as delivering it to parents.

It covers Shipley, Windhill and Wrose and Baildon.

The bank’s nominator said: “They always try to help everyone who asks for help. Including researching tie patterns to make sure they get the correct ones for schools, and checking uniform policies to help source correct uniform. They tried to make sure as many people as possible had the right uniform for returning to school after lockdown and even helped families during lockdown, despite home schooling two children of her own.”

Michelle Copeland Friends of Harold Park was nominated by Cllr Angela Tait (Labour, Royds). Cllr Tait said: “Michelle is considerate of all park users. Michelle is a main player keeping The Friends of Harold Park functioning in such a way that enables us to still provide fun and activities for all park users in the most extenuating circumstances.”

Michelle runs a food bank hut from the park three days a week with a teddy, toy and book re-homing scheme. Michelle and her son also set up popular children’s hunts to help parents get children outside for exercise.

Michelle said: “I’m very grateful for being nominated as a Community Star and astounded that I have been chosen as a finalist, all I can say really is thank you to those who nominated me and those who chose me as a finalist, I will continue to volunteer for my local community for many years to come and hopefully inspire others to help where they can.”

“I’m certainly not a special person I’ve only done what many people in their local communities up and down the country have done but I do hope I have helped someone along the way.”

You can vote for your chosen finalist here