Evening Times - April 23, 2009
EASTENDERS have taken the Glasgow Community Champion Awards by storm
- by telling us about more than 140 of their local heroes. We received the highest number of nominations in the Awards so far for the work being in the East Centre and Calton area of the city. The impressive tally pips the previous record set by Pollokshields and Southside Central with almost 130 nominations. And everyone is welcome to watch the winners being crowned by attending next Tuesday's awards ceremony at St Andrew's in the Square.
Councillor Frank Docherty welcomed the bumper entry field saying: "The East End is full of those untold stories of great heroism and people giving their lives to help other people."
Our postbag and e-mail inbox was chock-full of remarkable stories of groups and individuals striving to make a difference in the neighbourhoods around Bridgeton, Dennistoun, Calton, Riddrie, Carntyne, Haghill, Parkhead, Dalmarnock and Cranhill.
The geographic spread of nominations highlighted examples of dedication and enthusiasm across this area, which is the sixth of ten to be visited in our awards calendar.
Nominations included: Gordon Haxton, who has organised a Christian group at Barlinnie prison for 57 years-Community visual arts project Impact Arts in Dennistoun. Child and youth activity schemes Urban Fox and Play busters, both in Parkhead, and F.A.B. in Bridgeton. A community garden designed by users of the Riddrie Day Centre-River rescue hero George Parsonage, who is based at Glasgow Green-The Community Janitors training the East End's unemployed and transforming the local environment.
The youth initiatives on offer at Calton Fire Station-The team at Calton fire station received nominations for their Fire Reach and Saturday club fire safety initiatives for young people, while there was also a nomination for Dennistoun-born Steven King, area commander of the East End.
-A judging panel made up of the Awards representatives will whittle over 140 nominations down to a shortlist of 18.
-There will be three nominees short listed in each of the six categories. The categories are Individual, Team, Neighbour, Young Person, Public Service Team and Public Service Individual.
-The winners will be named at a ceremony to be held from 6pm onwards in St Andrews in the square next Tuesday.
-The event is open to the public and admission is free. Refreshments and sandwiches will be served on the night, during which readers can chat to representatives from the Awards' partners to find out about plans for their area.-The Glasgow Community Champion Awards is a partnership between Glasgow City Council, Strathclyde Police, Strathclyde Fire & Rescue, Glasgow Community Planning Partnership and the Evening Times.
-Donald Martin, editor-in-chief of The Herald & Times group, said: "Readers from across the city have responded in extraordinary number to tell us about the unsung heroes transforming lives in their neighbourhood.
"We have been overwhelmed by the way in which people from the East End have taken the Glasgow Community Champion Awards to their hearts.
"It raises the bar once again as we build towards the grand final in October."
All 60 city-wide winners will be invited to this prestigious ceremony at the City Chambers.