Over 11,000 nominations for BBC local community hero awards

A record number of people from across England have been nominated for the BBC’s ‘Make a Difference Awards’ this year.

The Awards, by Local BBC Radio, have had over 11,000 nominations for local heroes across the country Nominations closed on Sunday 5 March.

Chris Burns, Controller Local Audio Commissioning for BBC England said: “We always have a really positive response for Make A Difference, and these awards are a great example of how people want to shout out about the good things going on where they live.

“The numbers are incredible! It is by far the most nominations we have ever had. It is really heart-warming to see so many people nominating their peers, colleagues and friends for the good things that they are doing where they live.

“Our audiences have faced tough times over the past few years, but they continue to share their personal stories with us. So it’s great that we can celebrate these unsung and community heroes for another year.”

‘Make A Difference’ was established days after the first lockdown was announced in 2020. It is a virtual notice board where members of the public can offer help or seek support from people in their local area via the BBC’s 39 local radio stations.

The winners will be announced at our Make a Difference Awards ceremonies hosted by local BBC radio stations up and down the country in September and across all local BBC radio stations on their afternoons shows.