THAT’S it folks, the wait is finally over and the Chronicle can now reveal the list of Proud of Barnsley finalists for 2019.
A huge congratulations to everyone who has made it on to this year’s shortlist.
You are part of what makes Barnsley a great place to live and we believe everyone who contributes to making the town a better place deserves recognition.
This year we have had so many nominations featuring heart-warming stories about people going above and beyond to volunteer, do something for their community or raise money for charity.
Given all of these stories that we received, it made narrowing down our shortlist quite a task.
Sadly, we cannot give everyone who was nominated an award as the ceremony would take a week rather than a night.
What happens next? Our finalists will each be contacted and told about the next stage, but for members of the public who are wondering, keep an eye out for next week’s paper.
Hospital Hero
Ward 30 at Barnsley Hospital - The ward helped to organise a wedding for Jayne Nuttall - who had advanced metastatic breast cancer - and wanted to get married before she died.
Yasmeen Akhtar - Yasmeen is a mental health midwife who supports women before and after they give birth by holding a variety of workshops and sessions.
The Resus Unit at Barnsley Hospital - The unit gave a widower of a much-loved bingo caller the chance to say goodbye before she died.
Children’s Champion
David Winnard - David is a school meals supervisory assistant at Greenacre School but works additional hours every day to co-ordinate the personal care and physical needs of students.
Thomas and James Gough - The two brothers did a 12-hour fundraising event for KIDS alongside one of their friends. Both brothers ran the distance of a double marathon.
Gavin Logan - Gavin is the founder of Barnsley and District Junior Football League, which now has 125 teams of various age groups from six to 13. He has also battled cancer during this time but has not let it stop his work.
Young Superstar
Olivia Bamford and Katelyn Rollinson - the teenagers who go to Horizon Community College stayed with a man who collapsed on Peel Street and called an ambulance for him.
Mayon Jayawickrama - Mayon is the youngest black belt karate champion in the UK and is only nine-years-old.
Maisie Marsland - Maisie is a 15-year-old boxer who has earned a place on the England Boxing Female Talent Aspire Programme in Sheffield, where she is able to train with, and spar against, other young female boxers.
Maisie Graham - Maisie, now 19, was struck down by a virus that left her paralysed from the chest down several years ago and was said to be an inspiration to others.
Community Hero
Jayne Allott - Jayne raised money for two defibrillators to be installed in Hoyland in memory of her husband Phil, who suffered a cardiac arrest. It took 20 minutes for a defibrillator to reach him and he died afterwards, but Jayne decided to fundraise for more defibrillators in the town.
Madge Busby - Madge is 81 and does a lot of work for the Athersley community, including running the TARA office every Thursday, solving housing problems and going to every crime and safety meeting and ward alliance meeting. She is also part of the ward alliance.
Dean Sanderson - Dean did the London Marathon, Yorkshire Three Peaks and Tough Mudder Yorkshire to raise funds for Dearne and District FC.
Sporting Achievement
Elliott Bennett - Elliott is a young skier who has his sights set on competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
North Gawber FC - The football club won their league, League Cup and Sheffield Senior Cup.
Houghton Main Cricket Club - The club got through to The Cricketer National Village Cup final.
Community Group
Barry Hines Memorial Group - The group funded and commissioned the life-size statue of Billy Casper and his kestrel which was unveiled this year.
Our Place - Our Place is a group for adults from the ages of 18 and above who have learning difficulties. It provides a safe space for its members to socialise and many have grown in confidence over the years. Some members have been going to Our Place for 20 years and the group was re-branded by staff members of a former service that shut down.
We Can Survive Singers - the group is run by Cheryl Roberts and is for people battling cancer or who have survived cancer.
School of the Year
Meadstead Primary Academy - The school has been nominated for the staff’s dedication to the well-being of the children.
Silkstone Primary School - Silkstone Primary has been nominated for its dedication to pupils’ welfare and for enhancing its learning environment with a school garden.
Greenacre School - Greenacre is said to go above and beyond to help provide learning and lifestyle experiences for its pupils.
Triumph Over Adversity
Johnny Wood - Johnny is the brother of Jackie Wileman, who was killed when hit by a stolen lorry. He has been campaigning for tougher sentences for those who cause death by dangerous driving, more funding to police forces and a tightening of probation rules.
Ellie Simon - Ellie is a young woman who overcame her eating disorder to work towards becoming a personal trainer.
Chris Schofield - A former cricketer now turned cricket coach, Chris fell from a town-centre roof in 2003 and nearly died. He has completed three ‘iron man’ challenges for a charity that supports people who have brain injuries.
Exceptional Achievement
Penistone Group Practice - The practice has re-trained all staff to notice if there signs of domestic abuse with patients after their patient Claire Throssell lost her two boys in a house fire started deliberately by her abusive estranged husband.
Stephen Harrison - Stephen helped save the life of 14-month-old Hadley Walker who was choking on medicine.
Adrian Ashworth and the Therapy Dogs - Adrian set up Therapy Dogs - an organisation made up of his four huskies. It was set up after his husky Thunder was behaving differently around Adrian’s dad before he was diagnosed with dementia. The huskies provide support and comfort to people in care homes, hospices and people with disabilities. Thunder is also recognised on the NHS.
Carer of the Year
Damian Morter - Damian cut his hair off to donate to the Little Princess Trust and to raise funds for The Carlton Resource Centre off Spring Lane, which is a day centre for men and women with disabilities.
Helen Prior - the mum of Evie Prior, a ten-year-old who has battled a debilitating disorder which has seen her develop OCD-like symptoms - stopping eating, suffering constant anxiety and spending hours washing her hands ‘until they bleed’. Helen runs a Hope for Evie fundraising page on Facebook and raises awareness of her condition.
Jayne Chapman and Mark Chapman - the parents of Gabriel Chapman, who was temporarily paralysed on Christmas Day in 2018 and has nearly fully recovered. He and his family have raised funds to give back to Ward 5 at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, where he was treated.
Charity Fundraiser
Roger Cousins - Roger has run marathons for various charities and has raised thousands over the years.
Bethany Robinson - Bethany was diagnosed with aggressive form of cancer and could not go on her dream holiday to Australia but has been raising funds for Shine Cancer Support.
Frances Tighe - Frances’ son was badly burned and Frances completed a skydive to raise money for My Burns Club, Pinderfields.
Volunteer of the Year
Sheryll Dixon - Sheryl is a woman from Penistone who visits groups and knits for charities and hospitals.
Eileen Jones - Eileen has been volunteering for five years for Macmillan Cancer Support - one of her many roles involves spending a few days each week sorting all the collections for the group of volunteers in Barnsley.
Bekkie Hopwood - Bekkie has battled anorexia and bulimia for 25 years and has set up a support group for others struggling with eating disorders.
Love Where You Live
Cudworth Bunny Trail - The bunny trail runs every year and families are invited to follow bunny maps around the village to find hidden ceramic sculptures. The trail was set up by Cudworth Businesses and Communities Together.
Friends of Elsecar Park - The park and nature reserve has been given a platinum award this year from Yorkshire in Bloom and a ‘much-loved’ status from the UK’s Best Parks 2019.
GoodGym Barnsley - Members of this organisation keep fit by running to different community groups and projects in Barnsley and helping out. One example of their work was helping BIADS.
Charity Fundraising Team
Tom Wilkinson, Angie the dog and friends - Tom is an experienced walker and has done a sponsored walk for charity each year for the past three years after the hospice cared for his neighbour. This year he took his beloved pooch Angie and his friends along with him.
Gavin Coles and Steve Gilbert - The duo - called Little and Large - did a 12-month challenge including a 25- hour walk and walked the boundary of Barnsley to raise funds for Barnsley Hospice. They raised £25,000 in total
Mykal Porter Charity - The charity was set up in memory of Carlton Athletic’s founder, Mykal Porter, who died while he was training with the team at the age of 22. A match is held each year to raise funds for charity.
Charity Group of the Year
The Lily Grace Cunliffe Foundation - This charity was set up in memory of Lily Grace Cunliffe, who died in April 2013 of a brain tumour, aged three. The charity aims to give families lasting memories with their ill children.
No Limits Disability Festival Steering Group - The group is a committee of disability activists who are planning to hold a festival called No Limits Disability in 2020. The festival will be held in the town and across the borough and aims to celebrate people who have disabilities and what they bring to the community.
Barnsley Blind and Partially Sighted - The charity has been running for 32 years and provides care and support to people with visual impairments from across the borough.
