THE wait is over, as today we can announce our finalists in the Warrington Guardian Lockdown Heroes 2021 awards.

The event, in association with Warrington Borough Council and Warrington & Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, will be held as a virtual ceremony on Friday, April 30 – which means everyone in the town can watch live on the night to see who the deserving winners are.

The awards, which will be presented by Good Morning Britain’s TV medic Dr Hilary Jones, aim to recognise those who have gone above and beyond during what has been an incredibly difficult year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

We were overwhelmed with nominations which have now been narrowed down to this final shortlist, with all of the winners selected by an independent team of judges and sponsors.

Carers, cleaners and community champions are among those being recognised, along with our NHS heroes.

Warrington Guardian:

Macy Owen has been shortlisted in the young person category

Warrington Guardian editor Hayley Smith said: “The Guardian has hosted many ceremonies over the years, but the Lockdown Heroes awards have, without doubt, been the most difficult to judge.

“The nominations received have been truly humbling.

“I know from speaking to our judging panel and sponsors that it has been an almost impossible task to choose one winner in each category, as everyone nominated, not just our finalists, deserves recognition for their efforts in supporting and caring for those most affected by the pandemic.

“Congratulations to everyone who has made the shortlist and thank you again to those who are helping to make the event one to remember – our sponsors, our finalists and you, our readers, for continuing to support us and for sharing your stories about some of the most selfless and inspiring people in our town.”

Each category winner will receive a unique handcrafted trophy, machined from solid oak, designed and manufactured by North West business Handrail Creations.

Dr Hilary said: “The awards promise to be a great night and I can’t wait to hear more about the inspiring people of Warrington who have shown such bravery, compassion and leadership in the last 12 months.”

We will be sharing more details of how you can watch the awards ceremony soon and don’t miss our special pre-awards supplement featuring all our finalists in the Warrington Guardian on Thursday, April 29.

Send your messages of support to those shortlisted on the night by tweeting @WGlockdownheroes

Warrington Guardian:

Rainbow After The Storm are finalists in the Community Champions category

THE FINALISTS ARE:

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

(sponsored by Sellafield)

  • Greencore, Woolston
  • Three Bridges Nursing Home, Latchford
  • The Raj, Culcheth

YOUNG PERSON OF THE YEAR

(sponsored by Warrington’s Own Buses)

  • Hollie Reid
  • Oscar and Sebastian Spink
  • Macy Owen

NHS HERO

(in association with Warrington & Halton Hospitals NHS Trust)

  • Lee Caiger, paediatrics nurse, Warrington Hospital
  • Mel Thompson, A7 ward manager (Covid ward), Warrington Hospital
  • Allen Hornby, lead nurse intensive care unit, Warrington Hospital
  • Olivia King, midwife, Warrington Hospital

COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS

(in association with Warrington & Halton Hospitals NHS Trust)

  • The Sikh Community
  • WA5 Good Neighbours Group 
  • Rainbow After the Storm

EVERYDAY HERO

(in association with Warrington Wolves)

  • Mike O’Halloran
  • Carl Woods
  • Brian Clarke

EDUCATION HERO

(sponsored by the University of Chester)

  • Chris Hillidge, director of STEM and Warrington FabLab
  • Paul King, headteacher of Green Lane School in Woolston
  • Helen Smith and Tom Richardson, year two teachers at Oughtrington Primary School, Lymm

CARER OF THE YEAR

(sponsored by Warrington & Co)

  • Keeley Holford
  • Donna Fisher
  • Chloe Cooke

ENVIRONMENTAL HERO

(sponsored by Handrail Creations)

  • The Waste Collection Service Team at Warrington Borough Council
  • Aneeshwar Kunchala
  • Hannah Needs and Eriu Brown

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION

(in association with Warrington Borough Council)

  • The Warrington 3rd Sector Health and Wellbeing Alliance
  • The Facilities Cleaning Team, Warrington Borough Council
  • The Neighbourhood Team, Warrington Borough Council

TEAM OF THE YEAR

(sponsored by the Warrington Guardian)

  • Palliative Care Team, Warrington Hospital
  • Warrington Hospital Intensive Care Unit, Warrington Hospital
  • The Bereavement Service, Warrington Borough Council