Region's heroes honoured at Make a Difference Awards

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

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

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

She said: "I give all the credit to Leo because he has shown me the path and I’m just following it."

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

Dame Wilson said: "It is splendid to be here. I didn't see one 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 is so lovely to celebrate this kindness, initiative and caring tonight."

The awards started as a community event in Sussex and Surrey in 2011, but is now run across BBC Local.

Chris Burns, the BBC’s controller of local audio commissioning, said the awards are a "humbling experience" and she feels "privileged that we get to shine a light on these stories".

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

The full list of winners:

• Bravery Chris Waller from Epsom 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 provide a listening ear to others who may need support, while walking through the Epsom Downs.
• Fundraiser Lilly-Isabella Porter from Hastings swam a total of 166 miles (267km) between 2021 and 2023 and cycled 695 miles (1,118km) to raise money for a number of charities. She also donates money to individual children fighting cancer or enduring long stays in hospitals.
• Carer Oliver Davis from Eastbourne was only eight years old when he saved his mum’s life by dialling 999 when she collapsed in the middle of the night. For the past six years, Oliver has been his mum’s sole carer, and also volunteers for four different charities that support children and young people. He said: "It felt great when they called my name. It means a lot to win this award."
• Animal Lil’ Leo, a therapy dog who travels to schools, care 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 book series, spreading their message about the joy of pets to as many people as possible. She said: "It was beautiful and a big blessing. Leo has done beautiful work and he deserves it."
• Great Neighbour Dawn Stephen from Crowborough has run her local pub in Sussex for the past 16 years and is always looking out for others in the community. Following the sudden loss of her husband last year, Dawn has become president of her local first responders team and raised money for six defibrillators across her town. She said: "The evening has been amazing seeing how many people are doing good for the community. It is phenomenal and the feeling of love is humbling."
• Community Ivan Lyons from Leatherhead who, alongside his wife and daughter, established Joe’s Buddy Line to provide mental health advice and resources for schools and universities.
• Green Melanie Rees has been involved in projects around Brighton and Hove for the last 20 years that help to bridge the gap between environmental issues and the general public. She’s organised events, activities and educational programmes that make it easy for people to get involved with nature in their community. She said: "The best thing about winning is taking this back to the volunteer team - they will be so ecstatic."
• Volunteer Reece Williams from Frimley has been a member of the St John Ambulance team since he was five years old and regularly volunteers, assisting as an operational first aider. When he’s not doing that, he volunteers with Surrey Heath Youth Council as a secretary, as well as at Amplify – a mental health and wellbeing service for children and young people in Surrey. He said: "I did my top blazer button up when read out my name to look professional!"

Patrick Coffey, a local community leader in Sussex, has been doing the first round of judging since the award started in 2011and helps whittle down the hundreds of nominees to four finalists in each category.

He said: "Every year I feel unbelievably privileged to read all these wonderful stories about the inspirational people who make such a difference in our region.

"The hard bit is picking out the best of these, because they are all heroes."

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