Be Proud and Culture Awards special
SOME of the brightest stars of Manchester’s communities enjoyed their moment in the spotlight at this year’s Be Proud Awards ceremony.
The Be Proud Awards, this year held at the Manchester Central Convention Centre, are the city’s annual celebration of the extraordinary volunteers and unsung local champions who make a real difference for their neighbourhoods.
More than 200 individuals and groups were nominated across 12 different categories, with three finalists in each category invited to the prestigious gala dinner and awards ceremony where the winners received their trophies and one award winner was handed the title of overall Pride of Manchester.
After the formal dinner and a spectacular stage show from entertainers Halo, the 2019 Pride of Manchester award was handed to Emmie’s Kitchen, a voluntary project which provides a free meal for parents and families with a child staying at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
The project was started by eightyear-old Emmie and her gran, Eve Narayn-Nicholas, during a long stay at the hospital while Emmie was being treated for leukaemia. They realised that parents and carers staying with children often had limited access to affordable, good food. Since starting in June 2018, Emmie’s Kitchen has served more than 1,000 parents who are going through difficult times, while also providing emotional support and a listening ear. Eve said: “It has an immediate impact, in that we are feeding families who maybe are hungry, who maybe don’t have access to nutritious food while they’re in hospital because of financial issues. “What we do is make sure they are able to have a home-cooked meal and talk to our fantastic volunteers, who just offer a little bit of light at a really difficult time.”
Eve described the award win as: “Amazing; just a little bit of recognition that our work is really making a difference to families. Emmie’s Kitchen can only happen with our fantastic group of volunteers who come every month to talk to families and deliver food. This couldn’t happen without them and we are so grateful to have their support.”
A Special Recognition award was handed to Dena Murphy, for her 70-plus years of helping others.
Having worked as a nurse at the first NHS hospital, in Davyhulme, one of Dena’s many current projects sees her helping ex-offenders to get their lives back on track, through a gardening project at an allotment she helps to run in New Moston.
Dena has helped 300 ex-offenders to complete community service orders, often working for three hours a day on her allotment. Her produce also helps to provide a weekly threecourse lunch for around 50 pensioners, while she also runs a takeaway service delivering meals to older people who are housebound.
Collecting her award, Dena, 90, who also won a Manchester Evening News Pride of Manchester award this May, paid tribute to her fellow nominees and award-winners.
She said: “Every one of you in this room deserves this, everyone. I’d like to thank you all for the work you do you’re amazing.”
Amazing; just a little bit of recognition that our work is really making a difference
Eve Narayn-Nicolas, Emmie’s Kitchen