Sara hailed as a festive champion
ASOUTHPORT paramedic has reached the final of the Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons. Sara Lace, from Southport, has been nominated for the Community Champion award.
She has been serving Christmas dinner to 40 elderly people at the fire station where she is based, since 2013.
Her motivation to do this came after being sent on a call to an elderly man just days before Christmas 2012, and learning he had no relatives to share Christmas dinner with.
Upset by the encounter, she approached her manager to ask whether they could use Southport station’s community rooms the next year – and a tradition was born.
Colleagues put forward the names of people they would like to invite, and Sara asks local businesses and community groups to donate food, giftsift andd money forf theth event.t
Paramedics and firefighters help on the day, peeling vegetables, decorating the room and wrapping presents before serving dinner and playing bingo with their guests. One member of the crew even dresses up as Santa.
As a result, Sara has been nominated for the Community Champion award, in which the hearing specialist searches for unsung heroes representing The Best of British.
She said: “So many emergency ser- vicei stafft ff are on duty at Christmas, and it’s great to get them involved in the dinner.
“My mum, Flo, and son, James, help out and last year, James said it was the best Christmas Day he’d ever had.
“I keep on fundraising to host the dinners because after seeing how much the guests enjoy it, I couldn’t not do it again.”
Set up in honour of Amplifon’s founder, WWII hero Major Charles Holland, the awards recognise courage and achievement in the categories of Outstanding Military Bravery, Community Champion, Against All Odds.
Animals which have transformed the lives of owners are honoured in the Hero Pet category.
Charles Holland was awarded both the MBE and the Military Cross and received the Bronze Star from the US government in 1948 for his bravery behind enemy lines during the war.
Giuseppe Manzo, general manager for Amplifon UK & Eire, said: “We received some fantastic entries in the Community Champion category and the four finalists truly embody the heroism shown by Charles Holland.”
The winners were due to be announced at a ceremony at the Army and Navy Club, in London.
A panel of judges will then pick an overall winner of the Charles Holland Award from the category winners, who will win a trip to Italy.