Time to celebrate with Pride awards

We’re launching our annual awards celebrating achievements, kindness and community spirit – Pride in Luton and South Beds – taking in Luton, Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard.

Once again, we are giving you the chance to put those people in the spotlight, by nominating them for Pride in Luton and South Beds 2011.

The awards mean you can say ‘thank you’ or a big ‘well done’ to someone who has made a real difference, by nominating them in one of our 10 categories.

And our readers will also get to vote for their favourite from all of the shortlisted nominees to receive the special honour of the People’s Choice Award.

Our editor Lynn Hughes explains why it’s important to have Pride in Luton and South Beds.

“For the past three years we have run our highly successful Pride in Luton and South Beds awards celebrating all that’s good about the people and the town,” she said.

“And what a fantastic celebration it is. It gives our area a focus on what’s fantastic about living here, and we celebrate many special people and groups who have gone out of their way to make their community a better place.

“We know there are many people out there in South Beds who give their time selflessly to help others and make a difference.

“We believe they deserve to be recognised for their work and we are calling on you to let us know just how fantastic they are.”

We’re looking for nominations now in 10 categories, all backed by prominent local companies and organisations, so that we can salute as many of South Beds heroes as we can.

Once all the other award categories are shortlisted, the public will have the opportunity to place their vote from these entries for this special honour of People’s Choice.

Entries open on Thursday, August 4 and readers have until August 24 to let us know who deserves to win one of our Pride awards. Look out for the form in next week’s paper or enter online at www.lutontoday.co.uk

Nominate others or nominate yourself – we want you to give the judges a real headache by making a case for as many of South Beds’ shining stars as you can.

Lynn adds: “Lots of people say newspapers only report the bad things. That’s never been true of our papers, the Herald & Post, Luton News, Dunstable Gazette, Leighton Buzzard Observer and Leighton/Linslade Citizen, and it’s one reason why we continue to make Pride an important date in the area’s calendar.”