These are our amazing 2019 Inspiration Award winners

Held at The Village Hotel, we celebrated the town's community champions giving out a number of awards.

Here are the winners and the highly commended on the night.

You can read our live blog from the night by clicking here

TEACHER OF THE YEAR - DOMINIC VERNON

Judges said: "When Dominic Vernon took over as head teacher of St Vincent’s Primary in Penketh in 2017, the school was experiencing declining pupil numbers after being told it needed to improve by Ofsted.

"Two years on the school has been transformed and has just been rated as good, thanks to initiatives such as bring a loved one to lunch which have improved staff and parent relationships as well as the educational needs of the children."

Highly commended: Carol Downing and Andrew Gee

HOSPITAL HERO - THE ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AT WARRINGTON HOSPITAL

Judges said: "Hospital heroes can often be unknowing heroes. Because the people they help may not be aware of what is happening and who is coming to their rescue.

"It can be a thankless task for a team that is never off duty and always on the go, delivering a remarkable service in the most trying of circumstances.

"Multiple nominations praised the department, with particular praise for Sister Rachel Lamb in her efforts to care for a woman who had attempted suicide, working outside long shifts and abandoning her own plans to provide desperately-needed support.

"The team also rallied to assist a dementia patient when she was admitted to hospital on the day of her husband’s funeral, making arrangements to ensure that with their support and the help of an iPhone she was able to watch her husband being laid to rest in a private cubicle.

"A truly compassionate team effort from a life-saving department."

Highly commended: Mick Hearne and the Warrington Hospital breast screening team

CHILDREN OF THE YEAR - SOFIA DOBSON AND MARCUS WILTON

Judges said: "Our first recipient was featured in the Warrington Guardian not just for her remarkable story but also for how she has used it to raise awareness and educate others – and she’s still only five years old.

"After suffering a life-changing stroke and brain damage at birth, she has since defied all the odds to take her first steps, something her family never thought they would see.

"Having cerebra palsy, epilepsy and being visually impaired has not stopped her gigantic goals of walking, going to school and taking on every challenge she is faced with."

Judges said: "Our second Child of the Year winner is a truly remarkable young man.

"A difficult start to family life left him with mental health difficulties including ADHD and autism.

"After being told in front of his whole school in assembly that he would never amount to anything and that he was just a naughty boy, many children would have given up. But he decided to make it his mission to increase autism awareness and spread the message that ‘being different is good’.

"The 12-year-old from Chapelford is now the ADHD Foundation’s Young Ambassador and recently beat thousands of children to win Genius Within’s Achiever of the Year award.

"A real super hero for those living with ADHD and autism."

GOOD NEIGHBOUR - GEMMA BARBER

Judges said: "One-woman firefighting service Gemma Barber is always on hand to make her neighbours’ lives easier.

"From shopping for a poorly neighbour and taking her to appointments, to helping to clean up a house through the night after another family’s chimney fire, she epitomises the definition of being a good friend.

"When one neighbour’s house was hit by fire, Gemma sprang into action and set up her own home as a drop-off point for donations – an inspiring example of being on hand to help in a crisis."

Highly commended: Geoff Orange and Sandra Gregory

CHARITY OF THE YEAR - WARRINGTON & HALTON HOSPITALS’ CHARITY

Judges said: "After two years of dedicated efforts and countless fundraisers by staff and volunteers, Warrington & Halton Hospitals’ Charity has succeeded in raising a phenomenal £100,000 to create a new garden and play area outside the children’s ward of Warrington Hospital as part of its Making Waves project.

"The play area provides a bright and colourful space to make the hospital experience less daunting for children and visiting families."

Highly commended: St Rocco’s Hospice and the Disability Awareness Day team at Warrington Disability Partnership.

JUNIOR CHARITY CHAMPIONS - RUBEN AND ELENA EVANS

Judges said: "Two people who have contributed so much to the Warrington & Halton Hospitals’ Charity.

"They may only be eight years old but this brother and sister duo have already cemented a legacy which marks them out as quite remarkable young people.

"As ambassadors for the hospitals’ charity their £100,000 Running4 Dr Ozzy challenge for the Making Waves project was instrumental in helping the charity secure its goal.

"The St Peter’s Catholic Primary School pupils have proven they are up for any challenge – not least living with the ADHD condition they have both been diagnosed with. But they are on a mission to fight against the often negative stigma and not only have they raised thousands of pounds, their powerful message will be an inspiration to others for many years to come."

CHARITY CHAMPION - CLAIRE GREGORY AND ROBIN ABBLOTT

Judges said: "Claire and Robyn had a true 20/20 vision – to raise £20,000 by 2020. This was in 2014 and after £5,000 was raised by a London to Paris cycling challenge which ended at the Eiffel Tower, they have been scaling similar heights ever since.

"Three peaks, dragon boat racing, a snow triathlon in Finland – it has been such a success they reached their initial target in March 2019 – a year ahead of schedule.

"And all done with businesses to run and two children each, making it an amazing achievement well worthy of celebrating."

Highly commended: Barry Roberts and Christopher Rathbone

SPORTS PERSON/TEAM OF THE YEAR - THE YEAR 7 GREAT SANKEY HIGH SCHOOL RUGBY TEAM

Judges said: "On a sunny Wembley afternoon in August, their 10-8 win over Wigan’s Standish High secured them the National RFL Schools Trophy as they provided a thrilling curtain raiser to the Challenge Cup final, fighting back from 8-0 down late in the game to take the cup and securing silverware to bring back to the town before the Wolves followed suit with their superb win later in the day.

"After going that extra mile in training all year they were unbeaten in Warrington and won all five national and local tournaments they competed in – putting the ‘Great’ into Sankey."

Highly commended: Chris Smith and Lee Westwood

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT (SPORT) - BEN WESTWOOD

Judges said: "There have been some real big hitters at the awards tonight. But our next award winner – as any of his opponents would testify – is probably the biggest hitter of the lot.

"When this giant of the game of rugby league arrived in Warrington from Wakefield 17 years ago, many would have predicted the impact he would make on opposing forwards – but not perhaps on the Wolves team and the town for the best part of two decades.

"He has cemented his place as a legend and is now about to become an honorary citizen of the borough."

Warrington Wolves vice chairman and chief executive of Warrington Borough Council Steven Broomhead collected the award on his behalf.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY - NUVVY SIBIA

Judges said: "Navtej Singh Sibia, best known as Nuvvy to his friends and colleagues, is our next nominee.

"Supporting children with disabilities, recruiting volunteers and mentoring young people to make them more independent is more than just a day job for the Warrington Youth Club volunteer coordinator and head of the Buddy Up programme.

"Selfless, compassionate, dedicated and so modest that he always wants others to take the credit, Nuvvy goes above and beyond for every young person he comes into contact with and has helped to transform the lives of many.

"Multiple nominations describe him as an inspiration to everyone he meets, and to quote one, “he is what all human beings should aspire to be like and then this world would be a better place”.

Highly commended: Derek Vernon, Roy Parish and Jason Flinders.

OUTSTANDING BRAVERY/ACT OF COURAGE - ROSE FALLOWS AND CLAIRE AND SUZANNE SHIPLEY

Judges said: "Sometimes life can throw up the cruellest and toughest challenges that even the strongest of us would struggle to overcome. That is the case for Rose Fallows.

"A carer from the age of 15, Rose was left to bring up her two sisters and brother on her own. Tragically she lost her son to diabetes type 1 when he was just 31, but in the years since she found the strength to care for her daughters Claire and Suzanne who were both subsequently given terminal diagnoses.

"While Claire was too poorly for the heart and kidney transplant she desperately needed, Rose was able to donate one of her kidneys to Suzanne who had also suffered kidney failure. Since then Suzanne has sadly suffered sepsis twice and had to have her leg amputated.

"In an emotional nomination, Rose’s other daughter Laura, who has been a tower of strength to the family, said: “These three ladies are the bravest, most inspirational women I have the pleasure to call my mum and sisters. I am so proud of how they have fought the battles they face every day and never given up.”

Claire sadly passed away two weeks ago and the award was collected on behalf of the family by Jo Tocher.

Highly commended: Dylan Bamber and Vicki Griffiths

Claire Shipley with mum Rose

JUDGES’ SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - HELEN NEWLOVE

Judges said: "It is a very special award in honour of someone who faced unimaginable grief and heartache in the most horrific of circumstances, and somehow found the strength to become a leading force for good.

"In 2007 Garry Newlove was murdered outside his home after he confronted a gang of youths who were vandalising his wife’s car.

"The teens were subsequently jailed for the attack on the dad-of-three who died in hospital 36 hours after being repeatedly kicked and punched.

"Since her husband’s death, Helen Newlove has been a prolific campaigner, helping to fight the battle against the UK’s binge-drinking culture and anti-social behaviour, campaigning for improved support for victims of crime, and pushing for tougher sentences for those criminals who destroy other people’s lives.

"Her work led to her being given a peerage in the House of Lords in 2010, where she was introduced as Baroness Newlove of Warrington in the county of Cheshire.

"Two years later she was appointed the new Victims’ Commissioner, helping to offer advice and guidance to victims of crime and witnesses."

All our winners on the night

A total of £773 was raised during the raffle which will be shared between our three Charity of the Year finalists - Warrington Disability Partnership, St Rocco's Hospice and Warrington & Halton Hospitals' Charity.