It's that time of year again - the Examiner Community Awards!
Tonight we're celebrating the great and good of Huddersfield.
The night promises to be full of laughter and tears as we share stories of the best of Huddersfield, from community champions to tireless charity workers, from high achievers to campaigning superstars.
Presented by Huddersfield born newsreader Nina Hossain, stay with us through the night as we announce the winners and runners up of our very special awards.
Key Events
Achievement Award: Ed Clancy - received on his behalf by Brian Robinson
Ed’s list of cycling achievements is, quite simply, awesome.
He is far and away the best athlete to come from Huddersfield and is the most successful team pursuit rider in history and the most decorated Yorkshire athlete ever.
He is an absolute inspiration to the town and the many youngsters - and those considerably older – who have taken up cycling after seeing his brilliant success.
He’s a three-time Olympic Gold medallist, an Olympic Bronze medallist and five-time world champion.
Ed has a unique blend of pure speed and endurance and is the first man out in the team pursuit. His job to get the GB team to their average speed as quickly as possible. He is unrivalled and classed as one of the best in the world and a lot of the teams recent success down to the start he gives them.
Ed’s award was accepted on his behalf by cycling legend Brian Robinson, from Mirfield, who praised Clancy’s cycling success.
Brian said: “It’s wonderful that Ed is inspiring a new generation of cyclists who want to get out there, stay fit and healthy and enjoy themselves.
“I think I can say I’m not a bad example,” said the 86-year-old.
He added: “Let’s get more people on their bikes and less in the pub.”
Services to Charity joint award winners: Janet Swallow, Jean Semple and Tracy Gregory
A family tragedy inspired two women to dedicate themselves to helping the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
Janet Swallow’s son, Graham Chaplin, died 10 years ago after he was critically injured in a motorbike accident and was flown direct to hospital by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA).
Since then Janet and her mum Jean have devoted countless hours to fundraising for the YAA, mainly by making and selling crafts.
When tragedy struck in Tracy’s life it inspired her to become an outstanding volunteer for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
Tracy lost her partner Mick Cottam in a motorbike accident seven years ago and since then she has raised £50,000 and also attended 265 awareness events between 2014 and 2016 – plus lots more this year.
Jenny Jones from the YAA said: “She is a true superstar and a lady who should be admired.”
Arts Award winner: Huddersfield Literature Festival
It’s been going for 11 years and has become a major event for Huddersfield, putting it well and truly on the arts map.
Huddersfield Literature Festival (HLF) has gone from strength to strength, bringing big name authors such as thriller writer Ian Rankin and journalist Kate Adie to Huddersfield, supporting local talent and attracting people here from across the north.
This not-for-profit independent arts organisation is run by 60 volunteers donating more than 1,000 hours of their time
Services to the Community award winner: Cuckoo’s Nest
Marsden has two charity shops staffed by up to 50 unpaid volunteers which have raised well over £500,000 since 2001.
Judi Thorpe set up the first shop when she retired and is still working there.
The shops on Peel Street are open five days every week and the colossal amount of money they have raised has all gone to local organisations.
They do this through a grant-giving process twice a year which help groups and people involved in everything from sport to the arts and social needs.
Friend of the Year award winner: Jean Fry and the Side by Side Memory Group
The Side-by-Side Memory Support Groups in Kirkburton, Kirkheaton and Meltham were set up by Jean and are doing brilliant work to support people with mild to moderate dementia.
They give people the chance to meet up, share stories, reminisce and do activities such as quizzes, singing and crafts.
Jean joined the Alzheimers Society in 1996 and quickly realised there was a gap in the care for people in the early stages of the condition which she has tried to fill with the memory groups.
Emergency Services award winner: Firefighter Gavin Shaw
Gavin is a courageous firefighter who also has a strong sense of community spirit.
He has been involved in some of the toughest firefighting rescues in recent times – including risking his life to save a driver trapped in severe flooding - and is also anxious to help charities and good causes.
Although a full-time firefighter at Rastrick Fire Station, he is also a retained firefighter in Slaithwaite where he lives and was a community first aid responder for Yorkshire Ambulance Service for five years.
Community Event award winner: Dementia Friendly Lindley
It is hoped Lindley’s dementia friendly day will be the trailblazer for similar events across Kirklees.
This thought-provoking event involved all areas of the community – schools, businesses,
local traders, community groups, organisations, health and faith groups – to all come
together and become dementia friendly and dementia aware.
More than 500 children then attended school assemblies to learn more about a
condition that is blighting the lives of an ever increasing number of people.
Special Award for Outstanding Community Spirit: Karl Deitch
Within minutes of hearing that Huddersfield Royal Infirmary could lose its A&E Karl had sprung into action.
He set up a Facebook page called Let’s Save Huddersfield A&E and within a few hours it had 30,000 members.
That led to the first major protest rally in St George’s Square which showed the immense strength of feeling in the town against the closure plan and Karl has been a major figure in the campaign ever since.
The campaign has had its ups and downs and is battling a decision to make the controversial changes but Karl is there still leading his group now called Let’s Save HRI.
He has wanted to keep it at a grass roots community level steering clear of politics while doing all he can to make sure these plans are halted and A&E is saved in Huddersfield.
Congrats to Sarah Dransfield
Courage Award winner: Sarah Dransfield
Courage comes in so many forms and with Sarah it’s that bravery to battle back after
something has changed your life forever.
When 21-year-old Sarah from Holmfirth had to have her leg amputated due to cancer
she not only got on with life, she does all she can to help others.
This has involved working with and fundraising for many charities and the most notable
is the Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust where she gives inspirational talks, personally
helps cancer patients and promotes the charity in any way she can.
Sports Team award winner: Holmfirth Harriers Under 20s Team
Very well done - catch them if you can.
These are the best female cross country runners in Yorkshire ... and they are still in their teens.
For 17-year-old twins Erica and Lucy Byram and 18-year-old Olivia Sykes make up the Under 20s Holmfirth Harriers women’s team and they had great regional success this year.
All are in their second year at Greenhead College, are best friends and their list of running successes seems endless from cross-country and fell running through to triathlons.
Sports Personality award winner: Geoff Martin
Geoff has given amazing service to crown green bowling – especially youth bowling – in Huddersfield for around a quarter of a century.
The 60-year-old founded the Huddersfield Junior Crown Green Bowling Association and Huddersfield Junior Bowling League in 1994 with the late Tommy Wilson and many of the youngsters have gone on to form the Yorkshire team and win huge national success.
Huddersfield players have formed the majority of the Yorkshire Crown Green Bowling Association Junior Team which has won the British title 13 years out of 16.
Well done to these Denby Dalers!
Community Project award winner: Denby Dale Community Library
When Denby Dale faced losing its library a group got together and raised almost £1/4m to demolish the old one and replace it with a brand new community building.
It now houses a library, an internet cafe and a gift shop for Kirkwood Hospice. It can also be used as a meeting space for a community groups and a Trust has been set up to manage this building and fund raise to support its running costs.
Resident John Tarrant said: “They have not just maintained but greatly improved access to the library service.”