Do you know of someone who always goes the extra mile? Someone who is out and about in their local community, always ready to help their neighbours, their friends, their town? Someone who is exceptional, either in their job, or in a voluntary capacity, and deserves recognition as a Hartlepool Hero?

 

If Covid and the "Cost of Living Crisis" has taught us anything it is that community is everything and during the difficult times we need each other more than ever. Throughout the pandemic people across Hartlepool made the difference every day – whether through working on the front line in health and social care, transport, education, emergency services, essential retail and local service provision, or by volunteering locally to make sure that vulnerable people shielding from the virus still got their shopping done, their prescriptions picked up and that there was someone to talk to.

 

But it didn’t all come to end as restrictions were lifted and the vaccine was rolled out. In keeping with the marvellous community spirit that is Hartlepool, every day people are doing a little – or even a lot – more than they need to, just to make things better.

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Hartlepool Heroes is being organised by the PFC Trust, supported by Hartlepool Borough Council, and Hartlepool Carers.

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Awards Criteria

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1. Carer of the Year: Do you know someone who selflessly cares for others?  It could be someone who goes over and above through their job, or it could be as a carer for a family member, neighbour, or friend.  This should be someone who is unpaid for what they do and is aged 25 or over on 16th June 2023.

2. Community Champion: The person who stands up to be counted in supporting their community by heading or being an active part of community initiatives, for example running a neighbourhood watch scheme, being a parish council member, or organising/taking an active part in fundraising for community initiatives. This should be someone who has shown commitment to supporting their community.

3. Emergency Services Hero: Anybody involved in providing emergency response/care in our town, including responders and call handlers.  For example, the Police, Health Service, Fire Brigade, Coastguard and RNLI.  This should be someone who has consistently gone above and beyond to ensure the safety of the community.

4. Green Community Champion: Someone involved in protecting the environment and preserving it for future generations, for example by tree planting, litter picking, beach tidying, campaigning for greater awareness of ‘green’ issues. This should be someone who is committed to improving the environment.

5. ​Lifetime Achievement: There are people out there who have been around in Hartlepool making a difference for years – and we want to know who they are and what differences they have made. This should be someone who has been making a difference to the people of Hartlepool for longer than they would care to admit!

6. Sports For Development Award: Using sport as a tool for supporting wider social outcomes, bringing about social change and/or supporting the wider preventative agenda. This should be someone who loves sport and who helps others to develop their sporting potential, or simply a love of sport for themselves.

7. Teacher of the Year: We all remember a special teacher from our own school days, who helped us develop a love of learning and made our school days memorable for the right reasons.  This should be someone who has made a positive difference to your time in education.

8. People’s Choice: This is your chance to nominate anybody you know who you think is a Hartlepool Hero – for any reason, it could be they do a whole range of things from the other categories.  This is that extra special person that makes a difference to you.

9. Volunteer of the Year: This person will always put their hand up to help others, regardless of the cost to themselves.  It could be the person who makes a meal for a neighbour so they have a warm meal, someone you can rely on to take part in fundraisers, or someone who simply spends time with someone who needs it.  This should be someone who will always volunteer to help others.

10.  Young Adult Carer of the Year: A young person who makes time to care for others.  It could be an apprentice in a care home or someone who looks after a family member, neighbour, or friend, often in between going to college or work. This should be someone who is unpaid for what they do and aged 18 – 24 on 16th June 2023.

11. Young Carer of the Year: * A child or youth who cares for others, maybe as an apprentice in a care home or someone who looks after a family member, neighbour, or friend, all in between going to school, college or work.  This should be somebody who is unpaid for what they do and aged 17 or under on 16th June 2023.  * Please also give the contact details of a parent/carer who is over 18 or we will be unable to accept the nomination.