Tickets on sale to honour Heroes

IT’S your chance to see the city’s great and good honoured at our Coventry and Warwickshire Heroes Awards.

Tickets are now on sale for the glittering ceremony at the Ricoh Arena on Friday, May 26.

Nominations have closed and the excitement is building ahead of the winners being announced on the night.

Our winners will share the stage with hosts TV presenter Emma Jesson and Cov Kid JD, the host of Free Radio’s breakfast show. And Coventry’s Tom Barnwell, who appeared on The Voice, will be performing at the show.

The ambulance controller said: “It’s nice to be involved with some- thing in the local area recognising the good things people have done.

“I think there’s a lot of time people don’t get recognised.”

Tom was the only contestant to wow all four coach judges in the final round of blind auditions on The Voice in 2014 and was stunned his rendition of Estelle’s American Boy got Kylie Minogue, Ricky Wilson and Will.i.am out of their chairs and dancing. Tom said he will be focusing more on his music this year as he helps celebrate the city’s unsung heroes.

Last year’s gongs, under the title of the Pride of Coventry and Warwickshire Awards, was our biggest and best yet, with a red carpet ceremony at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre.

One of the winners at last year’s awards was Rosemary McCarthy – our Volunteer of the Year.

She was nominated for running a club which is a lifeline to its elderly members.

The retired teacher, who ran a senior citizens’ club at St Martin’s Church in Finham, was nominated by her friend Sue Nutt, who told how Rosemary revived dwin- dling membership numbers.

“Rosemary is one amazing lady,” she said. “Membership was approximately 20 people. Through Rosemary’s endeavours we now have over 50 members.”

Tickets are £20 each and can be booked at http://www.ricoharena. com/coventryheroes/