CELEBRATING THE HEROES OF DERBYSHIRE ROES OF DERBYSHIRE
SELFLESS volunteers, healthcare champions and kind-hearted heroes have been celebrated at DerbyshireLive Heroes 2020.
Sponsored by the Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Hardyal Dhindsa, the awards ceremony was broadcast live to the region from the DerbyshireLive studio.
It was a special occasion, with nominees, families and well-wishers tuning in from the comfort of their homes to learn who would be named among the best in our community.
Among them was Wayne Rooney, who sent nt a special video message ge to the nominees. The well-wishes from m kind supporters s helped make the ceremony even more special for those who awaited the e judge’s results ts from home.
Tracy Harrison ison was one such nominee ominee tuning in. She was given the Lifetime Achievement Award for her hard work in policing and charity work.
Tracy’s tireless work saw her make a positive difference in various roles within the police force, from constable to superintendent.
Commanding firearms incidents, fighting terrorism and battling to support others in the force through the Gender Agenda Support Network and the Black Police Association are just a few of Tracy’s fantastic achievements.
Her recent work with Derbybased charity Safe and Sound, supporting young people across the region, set Tracy apart from the other nominees in the Lifetime Achievement Award category.
Tracy accepted her award, watched by supportive readers on the DerbyshireLive and Chester
fieldLive Facebook pages. Th The awards ceremony was hosted by weather presenter and former EastEnders actor Des Coleman.
Other categories included the Environmental Heroes, Good Neighbour, Young Heroes and Healthcare Heroes.
The overall Hero of Derbyshire Award was hotly contested, with each of the winners from the other eight categories in the running.
Judges ultimately chose Emergency Services category winner Tracy Cunningham, the community paramedic who dedicates her life to helping the most vulnerable in our communities.
Tracy’s work supporting the region’s homeless, caring for those struggling with the affects of addiction, resonated with the judges, who commended her selflessness with the biggest gong of the evening.
COMMUNITY ACTION – SPONSORED BY LUBRIZOL
DAVID LEWIS
David Lewis is the chair of the Our Mickleover Community Interest Company. Following many years as the friendly local village postmaster, David now runs the group dedicated to providing events designed to ‘bring Mickleover together’. They’ve raised thousands of pounds for charity and transformed their area with flower beds and litter picking.
GOOD NEIGHBOUR – SPONSORED BY ABF THE SOLDIERS’ CHARITY
IMOGEN AND EVIE HATTON Sisters Imogen and Evie Hatton took to producing their very own newspaper to keep neighbours entertained during lockdown.
The pair have been writing news articles and cramming jokes and quizzes into The Messenger to keep everybody’s spirits up. The publication was delivered
free to their neighbours every Wednesday and has been a huge hit.
HEALTHCARE HEROES – SPONSORED BY DERBY AND BURTON HOSPITALS CHARITY
EMMA BAILEY
Local nurse Emma Bailey has been sneaking out of her house in the early hours to make a daily display thanking community key workers.
She has dedicated her garden to honouring those battling Covid-19 with trusty teddy Bradley Bear the star of the show – he is dressed in a different outfit each day!
EMERGENCY SERVICES – SPONSORED BY REACH EVENTS
TRACY CUNNINGHAM Community paramedic Tracy works tirelessly providing face-to-face health advice and on-street medical care to homeless and vulnerable people in Derby suffering from a multitude of
complex problems, including mental health, drug addiction and historical abuse.
On a regular basis, Tracy treats over 200 patients at the Safe Space service.
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY IN YOUR AREA
SIMON JOHNSON Volunteering at Citizens Advice Mid Mercia from 2018, Simon always went the extra mile to complete tasks and support others.
With stage four bowel cancer, he was particularly keen to get involved with the ‘Living with a Long-Term Condition’ programme, sharing his own experiences. He sadly died in August, but his legacy continues.
YOUNG HEROES – SPONSORED BY COSY DIRECT
SANDILE NDLOVU
At 15, Sandile moved from Zimbabwe to the UK with her family. With no
knowledge of English language or culture, she was placed into foster care. Sandile later found herself homeless, but when she got a flat at the YMCA, she set up a support group. She is now studying health and social care.
BRAVERY AND COURAGE – SPONSORED BY BUSINESSLIVE
PC KRISTIAN AVONS AND SGT AMOS DUROSE
PC Avons and Sgt Durose attended an incident in which they had to force entry to a home and confront a man holding a knife to a woman’s throat.
They showed quick-thinking and incredible bravery when he turned his knife to them. They wrestled him to the ground, receiving knife blows to their vests in doing so.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEROES – SPONSORED BY WARD
THE AMBER ROOM – SARAH GARLICK Eco-friendly clothing store The Amber
Room offers customers store credit or cash in return for ‘pre-loved’ items of clothing.
Owner Sarah Garlick opened the store in Derby after admiring vintage clothing shops in America.
Through the store, Sarah advocates the recycling of unwanted items and provides a new ethical option for fashion lovers in the area.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
TRACY HARRISON
Whether in one of her various roles within the police force – from constable to superintendent – through to her role as CEO of Derby charity Safe and Sound, Tracy has dedicated her life to helping others. Young people in particular benefit from her tireless efforts, and supporting them into adulthood is one of her main focuses.
HERO OF DERBYSHIRE 2020
Tracy Cunningham