A COUPLE who founded a charity have urged people to get involved in this year's Examiner community awards.

Joan and Tony Gorton have dedicated their lives to helping people with epilepsy after discovering their own daughter had the condition.

The Dalton couple have spent the past 30 years working with the Huddersfield Epilepsy Group.

And last year they won the award for Services To Charity in the Examiner community awards.

Joan said: "A lot of people saw the awards coverage in the paper and it helped to give the charity a boost.

"People came forward with donations and made us their chosen charity.

"I'm sure people who are nominated will enjoy the evening as much as we did. It was a lovely event."

The awards are a chance for charities and organisations to raise their profile about the good work they do.

Nominations are now being sought for this year's community awards which will be staged this autumn.

Awards editorial co-ordinator Andrew Hirst said: "These awards are to honour the people and organisations who do so much good work in the town day in and day out yet do not normally receive any recognition.

"It is a great way for charities to raise their profile and for people to nominate others they admire and think the rest of Huddersfield should know about."

He added: "Nominating someone is very easy and past events have shown that it is a wonderful thrill for people who make the shortlist and attend the event itself.

"Just take a few moments to look at the nomination form, fill it in and send it to us.

"Everyone must know someone they can nominate."

The awards are divided into 12 categories and Examiner readers can nominate people for the first 11 categories.

The 12th, a special Lifetime Achievement Award, is decided by a panel of judges.

Last year's winner was 1966 World Cup hero Ray Wilson, who still lives in the area and was presented with his award by soccer legend and fellow World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton.

The awards are run by the Examiner in association with regeneration company Huddersfield Pride Ltd.

The nomination form is now being published in the Examiner twice a week throughout the summer.

A panel of judges drawn from the Examiner and Huddersfield Pride Ltd will then draw up the shortlist of three in each category.

Everyone shortlisted will each receive three free tickets for the event.

And all will be featured in a special Examiner supplement a week before the awards evening.