Local Hero Awards are

Kingdom FM’s Local Hero Awards are back for 2020 – with a bit of a twist.

Covid-19 restrictions may h av e put paid to the traditional glitzy awards ceremony this year, but Kingdom FM and T he Courier as media partner were more determined than ever to celebrate Fifers’ phenomenal achievements.

Winners will be revealed next week, but here are the finalists...

ACT OF KINDNESS Calum Maxwell

Calum used a 3D printer to make face shields for key workers after raising donations.

Kate Adamson

Kate, 16, has delivered groceries from Dunshalt Community Shop to elderly and shielding villagers.

Craig Boyd

Leven salon owner Craig has collected equipment for kids going back to school and has offered free haircuts.

CARER OF THE YEAR Ruaridh Newton Ruaridh, 15, has ADHD and dyspraxia, yet despite his own difficulties looks after his mum who has MS and heart failure.

Sharon Atkinson

Sharon has cared for her parents full-time for the past 10 years and has also taken on caring for her two young grandchildren.

Samantha Devaney

Samantha, 17, has thrived in her role as a carer, with residents saying she has a heart of gold.

BEST FAMILY

John, Jerry, Marni and Daniel McPhillips and Ariana Sophia.

John and family did a virtual quiz night every Friday during lockdown.

The Londras

Charlene and In n e s Londra provide 24/7 care to their young son Gino, who has a rare condition, and continue to raise awareness.

Ma r g a r e t

Davie Goldie

D av i e and Ma r g a r e t collect constantly for the foodbank in Glenrothes

Ki r k

and and deliver fresh food to struggling families.

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Lisa Whyte

Lisa set up virtual meetings for people involved with Breathe Easy and ensured they would not be left isolated.

Fraser Watson

Fraser spent more than 15 years with St Andrews First Aid before working with the International Fire and Rescue Association.

East Neuk Responders

Volunteers give their own time to provide a vital response to medical emergencies in their area.

First

BEST

GROUP Auchtermuchty Angels When lockdown started, Paul Harris and Kelly Morris created a team of Angels to assist the area.

COMMUNITY Collydean Community Centre

Rose Duncan and her team have engaged their community with so many initiatives and an inclusive ethos.

A n d y ’s Ma n (Dunfermline)

Those behind Andy ’s Ma n Club created a community for men of all ages to express themselves.

KEY WORKER AWARD Scottish Ambulance Service

The service has been nominated for coping with and adapting to life during the pandemic.

Gareth Allenby

A former nurse, Gareth is the service manager of YMCA Glenrothes, which assists over 100 homeless people every night.

Faz Latif

Club

Faz runs the Premier One Stop Shop in Methil and put a smile on people’s faces every single day.

GREEN INITIATIVE Kingdom Housing Association

Kingdom ensures its new homes include renewable tech and are built to high energ y efficienc y standards.

CLEAR Buckhaven and Methil

CLEAR has made many environmental changes, including planting hundreds of flowers, and building up a garden where there is monthly fun days.

Grain and Sustain

Grain and Sustain on Burntisland High Street offers an alternative to environmentally damaging products.

BEST NEIGHBOUR Malcolm Sneddon

Ma l c o l m’s e ff o r t s in ensuring his community was getting by recently have not gone unnoticed.

Jimmy Jack

Jimmy played live music for three months to all his neighbours outside in Lochgelly in lockdown.

Heather McCabe Heather collaborated with Lindores Abbey Distillery to help disperse a WHO standard hand sanitiser in Newburgh.

NHS HERO Margaret Selbie Margaret is the senior infection control nurse in NHS Fife and found an innovative solution to PPE shor tages by sourcing washable gowns.

Christina Fleming

Christina is an ICU nurse who has kept up a positive attitude during Covid-19.

Rachel Finlayson Rachel works in the respiratory ward at K i r k c a l d y ’s Victoria Hospital and has selflessly dealt with Covid-19 from day one.

STAR TEACHER Samantha Miller

Sam is the composite teacher for the P4-7 class at Letham Primary and was nominated for her inclusive and open approach.

Karen Reid

Karen has been tirelessly working to help all the youngsters at Glenrothes High School reach their potential.

Gemma Sanderson

A P1-3 teacher and Microsoft Ambassador at Kirkton of Largo Primary, Gemma endured a tragic personal event at the end of last year but came back early to help ever yone through Covid-19.

MARY

AWARD

Sarah Hendry School of Dance

During lockdown, Sarah has been running online workshops to keep dancers dancing, which have reached Canada, Australia, Chile and Slovakia.

LEISHMAN Kingdom Company

Theatre

Kingdom Theatre Company in Kirkcaldy produces new musical theatre and gives training to young actors, dancers, stagehands and tech crews.

Te r r i f i ca l l y Adventurous Yo u t h Theatre Association

TAYTA has been run from the Music Institute at Carnegie Hall for around 30 years to make arts accessible to young people.

NEW START-UP Fennes Jewellery BUSINESS

After working Goldsmiths and for an independent jewellers, JoAnn Kinnear’s new venture in Glenrothes has attracted rave reviews.

The Hug A Mug Coffee Shop

The friendly Kirkcaldy cafe has been a community lifeline and was opened as a soup kitchen at New Year.

Mirror Mirror Hair and Beauty

Claire Small and Marie McFarlane turned a derelict shop in Crosshill into a place that’s now full of life.

FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR

Dun fe rm Superheroes

The group have run and walked in costume throughout lockdown, raising over £11,000 for both Calaiswood School and the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity.

Grace Sinclair

l ine

In July 2019, Grace’s younger brother, Harry, was diagnosed with leukaemia, and she collected over £14,000 in under six months for charities.

CH ILD ACHIEVEMENT James McMahon

After his dad took an epileptic seizure, young James used first aid to help save his life.

Holly Donald

Despite going through chemotherapy twice in her young life, Holly has been an inspiration to others – helping those star ting chemotherapy by allowing them to watch her have hers so they wouldn’t be too scared.

Ruby McDonald

O

F

Ruby, 13, has a condition called Fo e t a l Alcohol Syndrome but has gone on to represent her school and Disability Sport Fife in a range of sports.

PROVOST AWARD Blood Bikes Scotland Blood Bikes Scotland deliver whatever is needed to NHS facilities, care homes and patients’ houses, free of charge.

Punch Beyond

Punch Beyond, a partnership between Police Scotland and partners, engages young people in boxing.

Kirsty Riddell

Despite suffering from fibromyalgia, Kirsty led a small team in securing two plots of land from the council, turning one into a community garden and turning the other into a community orchard.

HOME TALENT

Katie Fleming and Lora Macleod

Katie and L ora first played together back in 2017, and now play regular gigs in and around Dunfermline in venues such as Mo n t y ’ s , PJ Molloys and Fire Station Creative.

GROWN

Cameron Barnes

A 29 - year- old singer songwriter from Methil, Cameron played bagpipes with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers but is now forging a solo career.

Emma MacLeod

Despite her autism causing her anxiety, Emma, 12, began recording songs for elderly relatives to listen to via Yo u Tu b e during lockdown.