Pride of Manchester 2023: The 11 people and organisations recognised for incredible achievements
The region's community heroes were celebrated at the Pride of Manchester awards. Hundreds of guests gathered at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel last night for the dazzling awards.
"It was quite an easy decision," she said. "I looked at the bigger picture. I saw the terrorist as an innocent baby. I thought ‘you were born innocent and somebody poisoned your mind’.” Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon8Cancel Play now Florence Coke — TSB Community Hero To Stockport, Florence Coke is simply Mama Flo. The grandmother of seven, who was born in Jamaica, has spent decades raising funds for schools and local hospitals — but she is best known for her Caribbean takeaway shop.
“It’s not done,” she said. “I’m going to go to work tomorrow morning. I’ve got kids' summer holidays coming up - it never stops!” Greg Davis — Children’s Champion Greg Davis has spent nearly three decades improving the lives of young people in his community. He founded United Estates of Wythenshawe in 1996 to tackle gang culture and anti-social behaviour, providing people with better resources and opportunities.
The award-winner said he hoped ‘local people’ would get the chance to influence government policy, instead of taking orders from Westminster. “We can’t wait for anybody else to do it for us - we have to do it ourselves,” he added. ASD is a spectrum of disorders, and in Taylor’s case, he is blind in one eye, has 'shell-like' teeth and has to inject growth hormones every day. Taylor, from Stockport, was bullied at school for looking different, which affected his confidence, but rather than feeling sorry for himself, at the age of 10 he decided to raise money for the hospitals that continue to treat him and also help other children with disabilities celebrate their differences.
Now the Manchester-based charity MAG is one of the world’s leading landmine awareness and clearance bodies. Its work is more important than ever. Founded in 1989 by former British Army engineer Rae McGrath and his brother Lou, the team is currently working in Ukraine, where landmines and cluster munitions are devastating communities, as well as Syria, Iraq and other conflict zones around the world.
“That for me was awakening that mines were a huge problem in Afghanistan, and if they are a problem there, they must have been a problem wherever they had been used.” Hannah Miah — Young Fundraiser Hannah grew up inspired by her community activist grandfather Mohammed, who taught her about the importance of charity. After watching a video about street children in Bangladesh, where Mohammed supported a school, the 10-year-old from Oldham decided she wanted to help.
“My grandfather told me to keep trying and help those who are less fortunate,” she said. “So that’s what I’ll keep doing.” John’s win provided the most striking moment of the night, when the pensioner led the audience through the chorus of Sweet Caroline — on an accordion. The man was agitated and not responding positively so PC Spinks realised he needed to detain him. After making sure members of the public were at a safe distance, and at great risk to himself, he tackled the man. A struggle ensued and PC Spinks was eventually able to disarm and restrain him. The man was later convicted and jailed.
After picking up his award, he told the M.E.N: “I am quite humbled. For myself, it’s what I do every day but from what people tell me it was a heroic act. As a lone parent, she has also set about addressing the stigma women like her face, hosting befriending sessions for other mums and helping more than 500 women access housing benefits and childcare support and advice around finance advice and immigration issues.
“So I was really shocked but really happy to be nominated, it is such an honour. When I see the difference we are able to make in people’s lives it keeps me going.” Since 2014, she has raised £500,000, paying for 5,371 people to be screened - of those, 168 had potentially fatal abnormalities. Working with The English Institute of Sport, the fund has also paid for 810 elite athletes to be screened - something which isn’t available on the NHS, and Deborah is now campaigning for the introduction of a national screening programme too.
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