Pride of Britain's unsung heroes revealed
Stars from the world of sport, music and comedy convened at Grosvenor House to celebrate the courage of Britain's unsung heroes at the Daily Mirror's 15th annual Pride of Britain Awards.
Hosted by Carol Vorderman, the ceremony is into its 15th year and will be televised tonight at the Grosvenor House on London's Park Lane.
National winner of Local Hero award
Anne Scarfe, 86, Plymouth
Anne is in her 80s and volunteers as a street pastor, works at two different soup kitchens in the week and helps run a lunch club for homeless people.
Child Of Courage Award
Harley Lane, 8, Stockport
Harley was just three years old when doctors made the decision to amputate his arms and legs to save his life from bacterial meningitis.
The illness led to the youngster’s heart stopping three times and he was also clinically dead for four minutes before doctors revived him.
A fund set up in Harley’s name allowed him to get prosthetic limbs.
Unwilling to let his disability hold him back, Harley threw himself into school and everyday life without complaint and this year he decided to give something back to the hospital that helped save his life.
Harley successfully completed the 1.5km Bupa Mini Great Manchester Run non-stop – the furthest he had ever walked on his new limbs – raising more than £1,000.
Teenager Of Courage Award
Malala Yousafzai, 16, Birmingham
Malala Yousafzai was just 15 when she was shot by militants after writing a blog about the treatment of women and girls in the Swat Valley - a region heavily influenced by the Taliban.
The teenager survived the assassination attempt, and has since gone on to defy the terrorists who attempted to silence her by becoming a powerful global voice demanding education for girls.
She has set up the Malala fund to help provide education to other girls like her in the world’s disadvantaged communities.
Malala's passion for education rights was relayed to over 500 delegates at the United Nations in New York when she made a speech on her 16th birthday.
Read: Beckham 'so privileged' to present award to Malala
Lidl Young Fundraiser Of The Year
Martha Payne, 10, Argyll
Fed up with dull school dinners, Martha Payne decided to showcase them in a daily blog - with astonishing results.
The blog went viral, giving the budding writer the idea to use the blog as a platform to raise money for children who cannot access school dinners.
Martha has since raised £130,000 for the charity Mary's Meals who help provide healthy and nutritious food to some of the world's poorest children.
The 10-year-old has now raised enough money to build a school kitchen in Malawi, feed all the children at a school for a year and feed children at different projects run by the charity across the globe.
Prince's Trust Young Achiever
Clifford Harding, 36, Birmingham
Suffering from dyslexia, Clifford struggled to keep up with his classmates and failed most of his exams.
As he approached the end of his teens, Clifford’s grandparents and mother sadly died in quick succession.
He has gone on to become a role model for youngsters in his community and developed a truly innovative way of teaching children maths that saw him rapping in the House of Commons.
Now he volunteers as a youth worker with vulnerable young people.
Outstanding Bravery
Karin Williams, 50, South Wales
When an out-of-control car hurtled towards a group of children at a school crossing, lollipop lady Karin Williams dived into its path to push them to safety.
The mum-of-one suffered serious injuries, but thanks to her astonishing bravery, none of the youngsters were killed.
Read: Hero lollipop lady 'just doing job'
Military Special Recognition
Rifleman Matthew Wilson, 21, Wales
Despite being shot in the head by a Taliban sniper, Matthew Wilson picked himself up and carried on fighting to save his comrades.
After enemy fighters launched an intense account which resulted in one soldier sustaining a critical injury, Matthew, without any cover, pushed forward to help his stricken comrade, running across open ground in full view of the enemy.
As he ran, one of the sniper’s bullets smashed into his helmet, knocking him out for 30 seconds but after coming round, the soldier ran 50 metres across open ground to attack the enemy and draw fire from a helicopter trying to rescue the casualties.
Matthew was subsequently awarded the Military Cross for his bravery that day.
Special Recognition
The Hillsborough families, collected by campaigner Margaret Aspinall
Ninety-six football supporters died during the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday’s football ground in April, 1989.
Some police and politicians blamed the fans for the incident, but the families of the victims vowed to search for the truth about why their loved ones died.
Margaret Aspinall, who collected the award, lost her 18-year-old son James at Hillsborough.
She has never missed a meeting of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, and was elected as a committee member for 16 years, before becoming vice chair and then chairwoman four years ago.
Special Recognition
Daniel Black, 26, Chepstow
When Daniel Black read about a disabled boy who needed to raise thousands of pounds for treatment to help him walk, he did not hesitate to donate £22,000.
The 26-year-old raised the sum of money to help himself walk again after he was paralysed in a cycling accident.
The little boy he read about, six-year-old Brecon Vaughan, was born with cerebral palsy and his mum and dad were told he would never walk without a frame.
Having raised thousands of pounds for his own pioneering treatment, selfless Daniel chose to give all the money to Brecon instead – despite never having met the youngster.
FA Football Champion
June Kelly, 43, Manchester
June Kelly set up and runs a thriving junior team in one of the country’s most deprived areas, using football to promote numeracy and literacy, and to steer youngsters away from gangs, drugs and crime.
In 2004, June made headlines when the Warriors were thrown out of the League for not wanting to play during Ramadan – as the majority of the team were fasting.
June lobbied The FA and won a national rule change – the first in 51 years – so no one had to play on holy days.
Teacher Of The Year
Sharon Gray, 44, Nottingham
Before Sharon Gray became headteacher of Netherfield Primary School in 2009, inspectors had placed the underachieving school in special measures. Ofsted issued a “notice to improve” when Sharon took the helm, after she pleaded with authorities to give the failing school a chance.
The 44-year-old's flair and innovative approach has helped transform the fortunes of the school.
This year she staged an “alien landing” that involved the whole school in a week-long investigation.
Sharon has encouraged the community to participate in school life, involving parents in developing a school farm, and inventing the Integrity Awards, to encourage children to behave when there were no teachers looking.
Fundraiser Of The Year
Jean Bishop, 91, Hull
Thanks to Jean Bishop's kind-hearted and fun-loving nature she has managed to collect £92,000 in her tin for Age UK Hull.
Known as "The Bee Lady", Jean collects in shopping centres in the city whatever the weather every other Friday, and visits residential care homes regularly as well despite suffering severe arthritis.
Last summer, Jean swapped her bee costume for the tracksuit of an Olympic torch-bearer, when she completed a leg of the relay in Hull.
Daybreak Emergency Services
RNLI Flood Rescue Team - Paul Eastment, 46, Chris Missen, 25, and Martin Blaker-Rowe, 33, Devon
The team of volunteers risked their own lives in freezing, pitch-black conditions to save a woman who had been swept away by treacherous, fast-flowing flood waters.
During heavy flooding in Devon two days before Christmas, Vanessa Glover, her husband Paul, and son Silas, seven, were driving home late at night when their car was swept off the road by surging flood water after the River Taw broke its banks, and pushed into a hedge.
Despite the treacherous conditions, the crew - Paul Eastment, Chris Missen and Martin Blaker-Rowe - managed to rescue the family and haul them to safety.
Read: RNLI crew honoured at Pride of Britain Awards
Lifetime Achievement
Trevor Powles CBE and Ray Powles CBE, 75, London
Inspired by doctors who saved their lives as teenagers, identical twins Ray and Trevor Powles embarked on medical careers of their own that would see them transform cancer treatment.
For more than 50 years, the brothers have been at the forefront of the fight against cancer, pioneering life-saving treatments for breast cancer and leukaemia, giving hope to millions of people.
Ray became a leukaemia and myeloma specialist, and carried out Europe’s first bone marrow transplant and the world’s first reverse bone marrow transplant.
Trevor pioneered the use of a revolutionary breast cancer prevention drug, significantly reducing the number of women forced to have mastectomies. He led the world’s first trial using tamoxifen in 1986.
Labour leader Ed Miliband has congratulated the Pride of Britain winners on their achievement and their "inspiring" stories helping others.
The Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards is on ITV tonight at 8pm