by Mark Newton-Jones,
Group Chief Executive, Shop Direct Group
As part of Shop Direct Group, everyone at Littlewoods.com is delighted and honoured to be sponsoring the 2010 Pride of Britain Awards.
Although this is the first time we have been associated with the awards, we have followed the amazing stories that have unfolded during the past eleven years of Pride of Britain. I have always been personally both humbled and inspired by the stories of courage and determination in the face of adversity that we hear each year.
Unlike other awards, Pride of Britain is about recognising real people and the exceptional endeavours they have made to help others, in spite of overwhelming odds.
Everyone knows an unsung hero, someone who is always willing to go that extra mile, no matter how difficult that may be.
Now is your chance to tell us about them. It's free and simple to nominate someone, just click on the Nominate Now button on the left.
We look forward to receiving your nominations and sharing the opportunity to recognise our unsung heroes.
Littlewoods.com Young Fundraiser
of the Year Award
All Pride of Britain winners are remarkably inspiring people. But, for every mum in the country, it's the stories of the courageous youngsters which are always guaranteed to take your breath away.
Who could fail to have been moved at last year's Pride of Britain by Jake Peach - the big-hearted 12-year-old lad who was so grateful to doctors for saving his life that he raised more than £130,000 for the hospital?
And how could anyone forget the selfless dedication of another young winner, six year old, Chloe Gambrill. Despite suffering from leukeamia, she insisted on completing a sponsored run so she could raise £100 in memory of her gran. They're truly deserving winners who inspire us all.
And, it's to celebrate the achievements of unsung heroes like them that we at Littlewoods.com are proud not only to be the new sole sponsor of the Daily Mirror's Pride of Britain Awards, but to launch a very special new category.
The Littlewoods.com Young Fundraiser of The Year award is long overdue. It's been set up to recognise the inspiring and selfless determination of young people who make a positive difference. It's to reward a child or teenager, under the age of 16, who has gone beyond all expectations to raise money, however large or small the amount, for a good cause. A young person who has proved themselves as a tireless and dedicated fundraiser... and a shining example to us all.
These are some extraordinary stories of previous young Pride of Britain winners who convinced us that we needed to launch the new Littlewoods.com Young Fundraiser award.
Even Take That's Gary Barlow fought back tears when Jake Peach told him his inspiring story. Jake spent a month in a coma and had to learn to walk again while battling cancer. But he decided to turn his ordeal into a way of helping other young cancer patients.
While he was still bedridden, Jake, from Southend, Essex, decided to make a video diary of his treatment at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital in London to guide other sufferers. He says: "It's all about PMA - Positive Mental Attitude."
After he recovered, Jake encouraged wealthy businessmen to make large donations to the hospital at fundraising dinners, and played a key part in helping GOSH win a £500,000 sponsorship with his favourite team Arsenal FC. He says: "The hospital helped me so it’s only right I help them."
Kirsteen Lupton, of Glasgow, was born with her bladder outside her body and has had to endure more than 15 major operations which have left her in terrible pain. But the brave youngster was determined to help other sick children by speaking at charity dinners. By the age of ten, she had raised a fortune - including £20,000 in just ten minutes after auctioning off her own signature at a ball.
Her bubbly personality and confidence has amazed everyone and she hopes to become a doctor when she is older. Her father Martin says: "We are so proud of her. It's amazing how she gets up in front of people and makes these speeches, she doesn't have a nerve in her!"
Tilly suffers from a muscle-wasting illness, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which leaves her physically unable to do everyday things most people take for granted.
Yet she has an incredible zest for life -packing in pursuits ranging from ice skating and ballet to rock climbing and sailing. After the charity Cauldwell Children helped her get a £20,000 state of the art wheelchair, to help her get mnore active, Tilly, of Leek, Staffs, dedicated herself to raising funds to buy more wheelchairs for children like her. She has already helped raise £360,000 for the cause. She says: "All I want to do is to give another child the same experience as I had when I got mine" Tilly says.
One collage she made for a charity auction even outsold an original signed Picasso etching in the same sale to make £360,000 – it was enough to help 18 other children.
Cauldwell Children Chief Executive Trudi Beswick says:"Tilly is without doubt a true inspiration, not only to all the youngsters she meets, but also her peers. The courage and determination she shows on a day-to-day basis is overwhelming, compelling and inspirational to us all"
Now we are looking for other young people like them who deserve to be recognised at the Pride of Britain Awards as the Littlewoods.com Young Fundraiser of The Year. If you know someone who fits the bill, who goes that extra mile to help others, please nominate them today by clicking on Nominate Now on the left hand side. The winner will be selected by Pride of Britain's panel of distinguished judges.