Some of the region’s unsung heroes will rightfully be honoured at this year’s Pride of Manchester Awards in a live-streamed ceremony this evening.
The annual ceremony – which is now in its second year – aims to celebrate community champions from the region who go the extra mile to help out other people, but instead of a glitzy awards show this year, the event will be held online.
This is of course due to local lockdown restrictions amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Pride of Manchester Awards 2020 – in association with TSB and the MEN – will be streamed live across The Pride of Britain’s social media platforms and can be watched on Facebook and YouTube.
Packed with inspirational winners, emotional moments and amazing celebrity surprises, the special ceremony – which is hosted by Kym Marsh – is set to be the perfect pick-me-up during these difficult times, and will also see the courage and dedication of frontline NHS staff during the pandemic honoured.
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There will be no shortage of famous faces either, with everyone from Little Mix to Olly Murs set to make an appearance and celebrate the winners.
The ceremony is due to begin at 7pm BST.
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Here are this year’s set of inspirational individuals who will be honoured this evening.
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Isabella Hibbert
Child of Courage
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Pride of Manchester Awards 2020
Isabella Hibbert – a courageous youngster from Oldham, who was just four at the time – managed to find and unlock her Mum Chelsea’s phone to called 999 for an ambulance after she collapsed and fell unconscious on the kitchen floor.
The young hero – who is now six – was able to give the call handler her address so that they could send help.
She also clearly answered questions asked by the handler, such as “is your Mummy breathing?”, and “is your mummy awake?”.
She then dragged her chair from the living room to the front door, so she could reach the keys to open it for the paramedics, before ringing her Grandmother – again on Chelsea’s phone – to tell her what had happened.
Chelsea, 29, was taken to hospital and has since made a full recovery.
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Katie Holmes
Teenager of Courage
Katie Holmes has cerebral palsy, but refuses to let her condition define her.
Her condition was caused by a bleed on the brain when she was born prematurely at 28 weeks, and since then, she has had to undergo five major operations to help her walk. She currently has metal rods in her legs and also uses sticks for support, but “selfless” Katie has dedicated her time to help raise money to help others.
She has taken on several challenges – including the Great Manchester Run – to help pay for her ongoing physiotherapy.
This year, she is running 2k to raise funds for the Stockport Cerebral Palsy Society.
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Luchia Fitzgerald
Lifetime Achievement Award
Pride of Manchester Awards 2020
Luchia has been a trailblazing campaigner for LGBT and women’s rights for 60 years.
She arrived in the city from her native Ireland as a teenager in 1961 after she had fled a physically and emotionally abusive upbringing with her grandmother – who beat her after she found out she was gay – and then found refuge at the New Union Hotel.
She was one of the founders of the first women’s refuge outside London, and helped organise a monumental march against Clause 28 in the 1980s. The 73-year-old is now chair of Irwell Valley Homes residents group, and she advocates for the LGBT community – in particular for older LGBT people – whose needs are overlooked in housing and care planning.
She said: “I was shocked and overwhelmed to win the Pride of Manchester Award.
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“Experiencing such misery in my youth is what drove me to make a world a better place.”
Paul Redfern
TSB Community Spirit Award
Paul Redfern leads a group of lifesaving bikers – Blood Bikes Manchester – who deliver vital blood supplies where they are most urgently needed to hospitals.
He set up the group 2012 after losing his right leg in a serious motorbike accident aged 18 and having his life saved by an emergency blood transfusion. Last year, his team of volunteers saved local NHS and hospice services around £340,000 after completing 18 emergency runs, 564 urgent runs, and 680 non urgent and routine sample runs on their bikes.
Paul said he was “delighted” with his award.
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Jim Nicholas
Fundraiser of the Year
Pride of Manchester Awards 2020
DJ and Elvis impersonator Jim Nicholas has raised an impressive amount for Francis House Children’s Hospice.
Retired Jim – who worked as Head Gardener for the Bishop of Salford – has been performing in pubs and clubs for more than half a century, and over the past 25 years, he has put out a collection box during his shows at hundreds of venues across Greater Manchester and beyond.
In that time, delighted audiences have donated more than £200,000.
Joseph Hibbert
Young Fundraiser
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Pride of Manchester Awards 2020
10-year-old Joseph Hibbert from Cheadle Hulme has raised more than £32,000 for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital since he was just three, and hopes to raise another £10,000 when he and his friends climb Kinder Scout – the highest point in the Peak District – next year.
His Mum Shelley said: “It’s been a difficult few months with the pandemic, but I do think that doing good inspires other people to do good things too”.
Marcus Rashford
Special Recognition Award
Wythenshawe-born Manchester United star Marcus Rashford has won a Special Recognition Award for his remarkable campaign to #EndChildFoodPoverty
The 22-year-old convinced government ministers to make the u-turn on plans to end free school meals over the summer, which resulted in around 200,000 disadvantaged children being able to access food and support during the break.
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He continues to speak openly on the urgent issue on social media and in various media appearances.
Maggie Oliver
Special Recognition Award
Pride of Manchester Awards 2020
Maggie Oliver – former Greater Manchester Police Detective – became a fearless whistleblower who exposed catastrophic failures to protect child victims of grooming gangs.
She bravely spoke out after Operation Augusta – a widespread investigation into a suspected grooming network – was dropped in the mid-00s, where eight of the potential suspects went on to rape or abuse other women and girls. In January this year, Maggie was vindicated by a damning independent review – which found police and social services knew girls were being abused, but failed to protect them – and that Operation Augusta had been shut down, because police were not prepared to commit resources to it.
Speaking of her award, Maggie said: “After all the doom and gloom it was much needed.
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“I was totally overwhelmed and it feels fantastic to be appreciated with this award.”
Dr Gerry O’Shea
Special Recognition Award
Pride of Manchester Awards 2020
GP Gerry O’Shea has been treating homeless people in the city for more than 20 years.
He does so from The Urban Village medical practice in Ancoats, where around 750 homeless patients have registered there, using the address of the practice.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “Gerry took a decision to open his surgery to people who are homeless here in the city of Manchester. He gives them help, vital healthcare, support to get off the street, but more than that, treats them with dignity and respect.”
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The full list of Greater Manchester Olympians representing Team GB at Paris 2024
Danny Jones
The Paris Olympics are nearly here and this year Greater Manchester happens to have eight athletes competing at the 2024 Summer Games.
It just so happens that eight is also the exact same number of local Olympians who brought home medals from Tokyo 2020, and we’re hoping these lot will help Team GB bring back a record number, with the previous competition seeing them match their all-time record (65) set at London 2012.
Honestly, there are few times in the year that we love as much as when the summer of sport fully kicks in and with the heartbreak of the Euros finally starting to drift, we can fully throw ourselves into the Olympics and get behind our Mancs flying the flag for 0161.
But who exactly is representing Greater Manchester at Paris 2024 and what events are they competing in? Look no further.
Greater Manchester’s 2024 Team GB athletes and their sports
Without further ado, let’s meet our local Olympic heroes:
Keely Hodgkinson – Wigan – Athletics
Starting out over in the home of the Latics, pie barms and The Verve, we have Wigan‘s very own Keely Hodgkinson: a two-time European champion who also recently broke the all-time British record in the 800m at the Diamond League in London on 20 July.
Born in Atherton, the 22-year-old middle-distance runner’s career is already off to a flyer and having already picked up the silver in her event at the last Olympics at just 19, we have every faith she’ll be bringing home the gold this time.
Aimee Pratt – Stockport – Athletics
Over to Stockport (don’t start with that Cheshire nonsense today, just be proud she’s from around here) and our 3000m steeplechase specialist, who already broke the national record twice in 2022 and produced the UK’s best-ever finish (7th) in the women’s event at the World Athletics Championships.
A long-standing member of Sale Harriers running club and a University of Manchester graduate, Aimee Pratt, 26, has got so much local backing behind her and has quickly gone from rising star to very much looking like she’s going to live up to the expectations of becoming ‘world-class’ as coaches predicted.
The third and final Manc representing us in athletics events is Bury-born and bred Hannah Kelly, 23, who is also a member of nearby Bolton United Harriers.
She was part of the crack team at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow that helped Great Britain reach a women’s 4x400m national record, picking up the bronze medal and will no doubt be looking to go on further in her Olympic debut.
Now into the world of combat sport and the incredible story of Trafford boxer Pat Brown’s journey to Paris 2024 who beat Poland’s Mateusz Bereznicki in a qualifier back in March and now finds himself heading to his first-ever appearance at the Olympics.
Coming through the ranks at his local clubs Moss Side Fire Station and Sale West ABC, the 24-year-old has gone through his fair share of challenges of late, losing his best friend and cousin shortly after sealing his place at the Games but now has more spirit and motivation behind him than ever.
Moving over to the world of cycling and there’s just one local name taking part in two-wheeled events this year: 28-year-old sensation, Charlotte Worthington, from just down the road in Chorlton.
One of the select few Team GB athletes who managed to pick up an Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020, the BMX star is not only ready to defend her title – becoming the first women’s champion freestyle park champion in history – but is looking to come back stronger than ever after some time out.
Insane stuff.
Anthony Harding – Ashton-under-Lyne – Diving
On to those wading through Paris waters in the name of Manchester, the first of two aquatic athletes competing at this year’s tournament is Antony Harding from Ashton-under-Lyne in Tameside.
Joining forces will Britain’s first-ever Olympic diving champion, Jack Laugher (who won the gold at Rio 2016), the duo have already brought home Commonwealth and European gold in the 3m synchro, as well as a pair of World Championship silver medals in the last two years. Is 2024 set for more gold?
And completing the water-bound Team GB athletes hailing from 0161 is multiple-gold medal-winner James Guy who, to use a phrase the kids are using, really is ‘that guy‘.
Another Bury native, the 27-year-old swimmer already has a big collection of gold medals in both the 200m and 4x200m freestyle at the Worlds, as well as silvers across multiple events over the past few years. With five Olympic medals in total to date, we’re desperate for him to add a gold to that list.
Georgia Taylor-Brown – Droyslden – Triathlon
Last but certainly not least is Droyslden’s Georgia Taylor-Brown, who was born to be an Olympian after her mum and Dad swam and ran, respectively, but continues to chase her own story of greatness, having picked up silver on her Olympics debut at Tokyo 2020 – even whilst nursing an injury.
With two golds at the 2019 World Triathlon Mixed Relay Series and AJ Bell World Triathlon in Leeds as well, we already know the colour looks good on her. You can listen to her full interview about going for gold yet again on BBC Sounds HERE but, for now, we’ll admit that her talking about coping with missing her dog come race time has made us love her even more:
Passport ✅ Hotel ✅ Alfie the cavapoo 🥰@TeamGB triathlete Georgia Taylor-Brown from Droylsden on what she can't live without at the Olympics.
Fingers crossed out Greater Manchester Olympians will absolutely smash it at Paris 2024 and regardless of how many medals they come home with, we already know they’ll give it their all.
No matter what, they’ll be welcomed back with a lovely homecoming party over at the AO Arena and we already have a great place to watch the events too.
Best of luck to our Mancs and all of Team GB – now go and do us proud!
Beloved Manc butty shop Bada Bing set for a sensational return to the city centre
Danny Jones
Sandwich lovers rejoice because one of the finest butty shops to ever grace Manchester is returning: that’s right, Bada Bing is bada-back!
The Sopranos-inspired deli and sandwich shop that took its name from one of the central locations featured in the iconic US drama (yes, the strip club), was a huge success when it first opened in Manchester a few short years ago, so it was a huge blow when it closed in February 2022.
Starting out by serving sandwiches out of a window at The B Lounge pub on Paton Street near Piccadilly, before moving to a small kitchen on Radium Street and eventually setting up their stall inside Ancoats General Store, they would regularly have lines around the block every lunchtime.
These Italian-American sarnies were so popular you’d often struggle to get your claws on one – and believe us, they really are a two-handed task – as they’d sell out on what felt like most days. But now, whether you were a regular or someone who missed out, there is hope once again:
Announcing their sensational return to a new site over in the Northern Quarter, which will now mark the fourth premises they’ve popped up at, Bada Bing is back with a bang and, as you can, they dropped the news with one of the best reveal videos we’ve ever seen.
If you know, you know…
Set to take over 125 Oldham Street, owners Sam Gormally and Meg Lingenfelter haven’t yet graced us with an opening date but the new unit should hopefully be open sooner rather than later.
The duo, who previously worked at fellow NQ favourite Another Heart to Feed, came up with the concept during lockdown and it didn’t take long for the idea to take off, nor for them to earn their spot amongst the very best sandwich places in Manchester.
Seriously, these things were so big and unwieldy (in the best way possible) that they even used to come with eating instructions: both hands and the trademark Tony Soprano hunch recommended, though the slightly stained wife-beater, boxer shorts and open dressing gown look is optional.
From slices of provolone cheese, all the thinly sliced Italian meats you could think of and the closest thing to actual ‘gabagool‘ as you’ll find in Greater Manchester, the menu was fitting of being served up to the iconic characters that once sat outside Satriale’s and a big approving grin from the man himself.
Simply put, we cannot wait and we will certainly keep you posted when we find out exactly when Bada Bing confirms their official reopening date.