Time to nominate, celebrate worthy local heroes

First started in 2015, the Daily Dispatch and Johnson & Johnson Local Heroes campaign is dedicated to recognising and celebrating the incredible people who give of their best to their communities.

And 2022 will be no different as the campaign hopes to continue the tradition of honouring the many ordinary people who do extraordinary things for their communities.

Entries for the eighth Local Heroes campaign have officially opened, with the Dispatch calling on readers to nominate their heroes for a chance at receiving one of the Local Hero Finalist titles and awards later this year.

Each year the campaign sees12 heroes chosen as finalists from a pool of nominees sent in by readers throughout the year.

Each of the finalists is awarded and honoured at a gala dinner.

To date, Local Heroes has recognised and awarded more than 60 Good Samaritans.

In doing so, the campaign has a long history of encouraging, motivating and changing the lives of the people whose dedication and commitment to improving the lives of those around them is unparalleled.

Themi Makefungana, a 2021 Local Heroes finalist and founder of the Chintsa East Drop In Centre – a place in the village where children have a dedicated homework space and receive a cooked meal every day – said being a Local Hero finalist had a huge impact on her life.

“Being a local hero changed my life. I had never won something before Local Heroes; it was my first time being a winner. It made the Drop in Centre become more recognised by the larger community.

“We even had a few people not from our area come to donate to the centre in December,” Makefungana said.

Kim Daly, Daily Dispatch acting marketing manager, said she hoped this year’s stories would also inspire others.

“The Dispatch is excited to continue to build on our longstanding partnership with Johnson & Johnson and other corporate sponsors for the Local Heroes Awards 2022.

“We hope that by sharing the inspirational stories and goodwill done by the nominees that others will be encouraged to support and contribute towards their community,” Daly said.

Johnson & Johnson spokesperson Michelle du Preez said giving back to the community was a priority for the company, and the main reason it was the campaign’s naming rights sponsor.