CUMBRIA is a county renowned for its community spirit and pride.

We are immensely proud of the people, businesses and groups who make Cumbria an amazing place to live and work.

There are many that deserve recognition for all they do – and we want to hear about them.

Cumbria’s biggest event celebrating heroes from all walks of life has been launched to find and honour these hidden gems in our communities.

Nominations are being sought for the Pride of Cumbria Awards 2024, a celebration of all the best in our county.

Joy Yates, regional editor for Newsquest Cumbria, said: “We are honoured to host the Pride of Cumbria awards, now in their fourth year.

“They provide the opportunity to recognise and reward the incredible individuals, teams and organisations that make our county the amazing place it is to live and work.

"I urge all our readers to consider nominating those who they know have made a difference and enable us to honour as many as possible at our prestigious awards later this year."

Cumberland Council will sponsor a special recognition award named the 'Cumberland Council Special Recognition Award’ for the second year running, following the launch of the new authority, with the winner being announced on the night of the awards.

Newsquest Cumbria is delighted once again to hold the awards in partnership with joint headline sponsors GSK and NRL.

ZSC Site Director for GSK, Phil Wilson, said: “It is fantastic that GSK Zinnat Supply Chain are once again an associate partner of the Pride of Cumbria Awards 2024. 

“These awards recognise the extraordinary achievements of people within our community, and it makes us very proud to be a part of the event. 

“We are once again sponsoring the ‘Young Person of the Year Award’.  The last 12 months have continued to challenge our people under the age of 16, exceptional circumstances create exceptional people, and we are excited to hear their stories and say thank you.”

Rebecca Graves, Director at NRL said: "We're honoured to continue to sponsor the Pride of Cumbria Awards. Each year it’s a celebration of the fantastic things happening across Cumbria, with such brilliant examples of community spirit. Events such as the Pride of Cumbria Awards provide an opportunity for everyone to hear about the rewarding projects and initiatives happening across our region, and the brilliant people that make them happen.

"Our team are looking forward to celebrating the shortlist and winners on the night and are grateful to everyone nominated for the dedicated work they do in supporting others."

This year’s awards will take place at The Greenhill Hotel in Wigton on Thursday, June 13. Nominations for the awards will close on March 26.

To find out more about the categories or nominate someone you think is deserving of an award you can visit: https://forms.office.com/e/wNfDLmRGgg or scan the QR code below.

The categories are as follows: 

NEIGHBOUR OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Sellafield Ltd.) - Cumbrians are renowned for looking after each other but this award seeks to recognise people who have gone out of their way to be a great neighbour.

YOUNG PERSON OF THE YEAR (sponsored by GSK) - Many young people under the age of 16 make an excellent contribution to their communities and this award recognises the importance of young people in our region.

COMMUNITY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Westinghouse) - This award will recognise a business that has made an impact on giving back to their local community.

CHARITY OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by Sellafield Ltd.)  - This award will recognise a charity who has demonstrated innovation, exemplifies best practice and who have positively impacted the community. It will recognise the hard work and dedication of its staff and volunteers.

NHS/KEYWORKER OF THE YEAR (sponsored by NRL) - This award will recognise heroes from the NHS and care sector who have gone above and beyond. They will have shown bravery, courage and resilience in their day-to-day work, demonstrated outstanding acts of kindness and compassion to families and patients.

CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY AWARD - This award will recognise the carers at home and in the community who have gone the extra mile. They will have shown true compassion towards those they care for and demonstrated outstanding acts of kindness.

SPORTS PERSON/TEAM OF THE YEAR - This award will recognise an individual or team in a sporting discipline, individual sport or sporting event that has achieved the most notable performance in recent months and shown examples of outstanding commitment, dedication and enthusiasm in their chosen sport.

EDUCATION HERO OF THE YEAR - This award will recognise an individual who works in the education sector from a governor to a site manager and everyone in between. They will have provided outstanding support for their pupils, demonstrated real creativity to deliver learning experiences and inspired youngsters and colleagues with their resilience and positivity.

COMMUNITY GROUP OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Cumbria Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner) - This award will recognise a group that have come together in the community, a group who exemplifies what can be achieved when people work together for the greater good, making their community a better or safer place to live.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION OF THE YEAR (sponsored by NRL and GSK) - A very special award designed to honour someone who has made a real difference to their community over many years, but especially in the last 12 months. This award will be an inspirational individual who goes above and beyond expectations on a regular basis, or who has done something so special it has made a long-lasting impression.