Regional heroes honored at the Make a Difference Awards

Eight community heroes from Surrey and Sussex have been honored at a BBC awards event.

The winners of the Make a Difference Awards were revealed at a ceremony at the Ashdown Park Hotel, near East Grinstead, West Sussex.

Parnita Senjit, whose therapy dog ​​Lil’ Leo won the animal category in her first year at the awards, said she feels “blessed” that Leo’s hard work has been recognized.

She said: “I give all the credit to Leo because he showed me the way and I’m just following it.”

Awards judges included novelist Dame Jacqueline Wilson, former footballer and Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation mentor Guy Butters, and Guildford Games founder Lauran Carter.

Dame Wilson said: “It’s splendid to be here. I didn’t see a category where I didn’t have tears in my eyes and I wish everyone could be a winner.

“I think all the winners are so special and it’s so beautiful to celebrate this kindness, initiative and caring tonight.”

The awards started as a community event in Sussex and Surrey in 2011, but are now held on BBC Local.

Chris Burns, controller of local audio commissioning at the BBC, said the awards are a “humbling experience” and she feels “privileged that we can shine a light on these stories”.

BBC presenter Roman Kemp appeared via video to congratulate BBC Morning Live Community Award winner Ivan Lyons, who founded the charity Joe’s Buddy Line after his son, Joe, took his own life in 2020.

The full list of winners:

• Bravery Chris Waller from Epsom has set up a weekly ‘walk and talk’ group called We Power On. The group provides a safe space for men to share their feelings and listen to others who may need support, whilst walking around Epsom Downs.

• Fundraising Lilly-Isabella Porter, from Hastings, swam a total of 166 miles (267 km) between 2021 and 2023 and cycled 695 miles (1,118 km) to raise money for various charities. She also donates money to children fighting cancer or spending long stays in hospitals.

• Caregiver Oliver Davis, from Eastbourne, was just eight years old when he saved his mother’s life by calling 999 when she collapsed in the middle of the night. For the past six years, Oliver has been his mother’s sole carer and has also volunteered at four different charities that support children and young people. He said: “It was great when they called my name. It means a lot to win this award.”

• Animal Lil’ Leo, a therapy dog ​​who travels to schools, nursing homes and psychiatric hospitals alongside his owner, Parnita, provides a safe space for people to share their feelings and take comfort in Leo’s calming presence. Parnita has also turned Leo into a series of books, spreading her message about the joy of pets to as many people as possible. She said: “It was beautiful and a huge blessing. Leo did a beautiful job and deserves it.”

• Great neighbor Dawn Stephen, from Crowborough, has been running her local pub in Sussex for 16 years and is always looking out for others in the community. After the sudden loss of her husband last year, Dawn became president of her local team of first responders and raised money for six defibrillators in her town. She said: “The night was amazing to see how many people are doing good for the community. It’s phenomenal and the feeling of love is humbling.”

• Community Ivan Lyons, from Leatherhead, who, alongside his wife and daughter, founded Joe’s Buddy Line to provide mental health advice and resources to schools and universities.

• Green Melanie Rees has been involved in projects in Brighton and Hove over the last 20 years that help bridge the gap between environmental issues and the general public. She has organized events, activities and educational programs that make it easier for people to engage with nature in her community. She said: “The best thing about winning is taking it back to the team of volunteers – they will be so ecstatic.”

• Voluntary Reece Williams, from Farnborough, has been a member of the St John Ambulance team since the age of five and regularly volunteers, assisting as an operational first aider. When not doing this, he volunteers at Surrey Heath Youth Council as secretary, as well as Amplify – a mental health and wellbeing service for children and young people in Surrey. He said: “I buttoned my blazer when I read my name to look professional!”

Patrick Coffey, a local community leader in Sussex, has been doing the first round of judging since the awards began in 2011 and has helped narrow the hundreds of nominees down to four finalists in each category.

He said: “Every year I feel incredibly privileged to read all these wonderful stories about inspiring people who make such a difference to our region.

“The difficult part is choosing the best of them, because they are all heroes.”

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