Cast your vote for your winners from the list below before the voting deadline at

Midnight, Sunday 11th October 2026

Don't forget to click SUBMIT at the end
to ensure your vote counts.  

One vote per person.  First voting submission counts, any subsequent submissions will not count.

Business Of The Year Finalists

Agent
Agent’s impact extends well beyond its ever-welcoming office. Now a certified B Corp, the organisation has donated more than £70,000 worth of new books to young people and is a powerful voice for LGBT+ initiatives.

Applied Nutrition
Knowsley-based health supplement specialists Applied Nutrition do more than support people’s wellbeing – they’re also one of our region’s most generous charity supporters, with £165,000 raised for Alder Hey alone.

Krol Corlett Construction
As well as being the main contractor for the new Little Lights Baby Hospice, Krol Corlett has developed a reputation for backing countless good causes. They’ve raised funds for Liverpool Women’s Hospital Charity, Claire House, We Are Nugent, and many more.

Penny Lane Builders
As part of its commitment to social value, Penny Lane Builders provides ongoing support to maintain and improve facilities for local addiction charity Transforming Choice. The company also contributed more than 170 hours of community-focused support during a recent Knowsley Council contract.

Business Hero Finalists

Kate Stewart - Vitality Homes / Sisterhood HQ
Kate is a serial entrepreneur and one of our region’s most committed philanthropists.
She founded Vitality Homes to provide supported living accommodation and the
online empowerment platform Sisterhood HQ, alongside launching an annual
initiative to provide school uniforms to disadvantaged children.

Kirsten Little - Make CIC
Kirsten is the co-founder and COO of Make CIC, a social enterprise and community organisation that helps local people turn their passions into sustainable businesses. She played a key role in establishing Make's ‘forever home’ and transforming creative spaces in Birkenhead.

Nicola Byrne - Scouse Girl Social
Nicola has dedicated the past 25 years to empowering women and girls. Her community-focused businesses include Mini Madams and Girls With Dreams, which hosts the inspiring Scouse Girl Social event.

Stephanie Barney - Girls on the Go
Stephanie co-founded Girls on the Go with one simple mission: to make the UK a less lonely place for women. The female-only health and wellness community is free to join, offering a safe, accessible space for women to stay active, socialise and make new friends.

 

Charity of the Year Finalists

Little Lights Baby Hospice
Little Lights is the new name for Zoe’s Place – a charity that’s cared for babies and children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions for more than 30 years.
After the community came together to save the hospice, its team continues to provide the same specialist care alongside compassionate and practical support for the children’s families.

Love Jasmine
Established by Rob and Kathy Lapsley following the death of their daughter Jasmine in August 2014, Love Jasmine offers families bereaved by the loss of a child the support they need, when they need it, for as long as they need it.

Owen McVeigh Foundation
The Owen McVeigh Foundation helps create incredible memories for children and their families affected by cancer in Merseyside. As well as arranging events, activities, and meet-and-greets, the foundation also provides free holidays at Peacock Lodge.

St Joseph’s Hospice
St Joseph's provides palliative and end-of-life care for patients with life-limiting conditions, alongside support for their families and carers. The hospice gives people with complex needs the time, space and specialist care they need at a crucial stage of their lives.

 

Community Hero Finalists

Andrew Salim - Central Waste
Family-run cleaning firm Central Waste has become renowned for its eye-catching videos of orange-balaclava-clad workers cleaning up neglected parks across the city. The initiative is the brainchild of Andrew Salim, who wanted to create more inviting places for families to meet and play.

Anthony Grice - FIKA
Anthony's FIKA coffee shops are much more than places to grab a brew – they’re true community hubs. Initiatives from free meals to mental health walks show that Anthony lives and breathes the city's spirit. And we all love those inspirational A-boards.

Brian Nolan - Caring Connections
Brian has spent many years supporting people experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing their homes across Liverpool. He has dedicated his career to helping some of the most vulnerable people in our community, often working with individuals with complex health and social care needs who have nowhere else to turn.

Miguel Doforo - MD Productions
Miguel has spent more than 30 years using creativity to create opportunities and strengthen communities across the Liverpool City Region and beyond. His work has contributed to projects generating millions of pounds in social value and supported thousands of people through education, wellbeing and community engagement.

Community Project Finalists

House of Memories - National Museums Liverpool
House of Memories is a National Museums Liverpool-led dementia awareness programme that uses museum collections to help people living with dementia and their carers connect through shared memories. Through training, activities and its specially developed app, the programme helps carers provide more person-centred support.

The Bronte
The Bronte runs youth clubs, residentials and play schemes to empower young people from all walks of life. With a major renovation of its historic building underway, it’s bringing vibrant new spaces and even more opportunities to the city centre soon.

The LCL Bike Ride
Organised by North West Cancer Research, the iconic annual Liverpool–Chester–Liverpool Bike Ride brings cyclists from across the UK together to enjoy the sights of Liverpool, Wirral and Chester while raising vital funds for cancer research and other good causes.

Your Light Matters
In March, thousands of lights shone at Stanley Park's Isla Gladstone Conservatory to remember men lost to suicide. Organised by suicide attempt survivor Joe Jones, Your Light Matters is a community-led, non-profit initiative dedicated to suicide prevention and awareness.

 

Sports Hero Finalists

Anders Borg - Liverpool International Tennis Tournament
As founder of the Liverpool International Tennis Tournament, Anders actively promotes youth tennis in our region. His Kids Only Day initiative has introduced more than 60,000 local children to tennis, with several local youngsters going on to compete internationally thanks to his support.

Anfield Boxing Club
Anfield Boxing Club certainly packs a punch in the local community. Led by long-time youth worker Alan Walsh, the club’s Real Men Don’t Carry Knives initiative helps steer young men away from knife crime by teaching them boxing and self-discipline.

James Dixon - Sefton Park CC
James is an award-winning seam bowler for Sefton Park Cricket Club and a star of England’s international deaf and mixed-disability cricket teams. He’s played for England for 20 years, winning the Deaf Ashes in 2022 and being named the Lord's Taverners Disability Cricketer of the Year in 2025.

Mersey Marauders FC
Merseyside's LGBT+ football club offers people the chance to play in a supportive and inclusive environment. The Marauders are challenging homophobia in football, creating a welcoming space where everyone can enjoy the sport they love without discrimination.

The Neuro Gym - The Brain Charity
The Brain Charity's Neuro Gym is a free, accessible Liverpool gym for people affected by neurological conditions. Created to remove barriers to rehabilitation, it offers specialist equipment, tailored exercise programmes and a welcoming space where people can improve their fitness and rebuild confidence.

 

Sustainability Award

Bus Yard
Rather than build new structures, The Bus Yard repurposes double-decker buses and industrial shipping containers into some of our region’s most distinctive hospitality spaces. Its commitment to sustainability extends to daily beach cleans in Crosby and the use of local produce.

The Beatles Story
The Beatles Story is proof that sustainability and world-class visitor experiences can go hand in hand. Through initiatives supporting the environment, local communities and staff wellbeing, the organisation recently achieved Gold accreditation from Green Tourism.

The Welsford Bistro
Liverpool Cathedral-based The Welsford Bistro champions local produce and suppliers, including specially brewed beers and ales from Black Lodge Brewery and a bespoke coffee blend from local supplier, Coffee King.

The Wild Pantry
The fermented food specialists focus on small-batch, natural production methods that support sustainability and local health. The Pantry also hand-delivers products to local customers, helping reduce transport emissions.

 

Emergency Services Award Finalists

Liverpool Women’s Hospital Neonatal Unit
Liverpool Women's Neonatal Unit cares for more than 1,000 babies and their families every year. With 44 specialist cots and additional transitional care facilities, the team provides intensive, high-dependency and ongoing care for newborn babies while involving families in every stage of their child's treatment.

North West Air Ambulance Charity
From serious accidents to life-threatening medical emergencies, North West Air Ambulance Charity delivers specialist care when every second counts. The charity responded to 3,862 missions in 2025, including 1,524 critical care car missions, providing lifesaving support across the region without government or NHS funding.

Wirral Coastguard Rescue

Wirral Coastguard Rescue Team provides vital search and rescue services across Wirral and the surrounding area. In April, the team joined a multi-agency operation to rescue a wheelchair user trapped in mud off New Brighton as the incoming tide threatened her safety.

Fundraising Hero Finalists

Alex Rigby
Alex has raised over £80,000 for local domestic abuse charity Centre 56 through his gruelling ultra-marathon Running the Railways events. In June, he was awarded a British Empire Medal in the King’s Birthday Honours in recognition of his outstanding services to charity.

Barry Calder
After serving more than 30 years with the Metropolitan Police, Barry retired and later joined Merseyside Police as a PCSO to continue serving his community. While still in training in July 2024, he was one of the first responders to the Southport attack. In just five days this year, he walked the distance of five marathons to raise almost £10,000 for Hope’s Help and Police Care UK.

Ian James
Personal trainer Ian has pushed himself to the limit through a series of gruelling physical and mental endurance challenges in support of the NSPCC. His efforts have raised thousands of pounds to help protect children from abuse and support those affected by it.

Sergio Aguiar
Following the loss of his nine-year-old daughter, Alice, in the Southport tragedy, Sergio committed to running six World Marathon Majors in her memory. His efforts have so far raised almost £18,000 for Alice’s WonderDance Foundation, created to carry forward Alice’s legacy and give every young person a place where they feel included, valued, and empowered to shine.

Inspiring Influencer Award Finalists

Andy Grant
Andy is a former Royal Marine and record-breaking athlete who has spent the past ten years sharing his extraordinary story of resilience, determination and overcoming adversity with audiences across the UK. He recently offered his time free to schools ahead of his latest challenge – climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Jerome Griffin
Best known as the Scouse Ghetto Gourmet, Jerome has been a fixture on our social media feeds for years. In August, he used his popularity to start a fundraiser for Blackstock Market, following a fire that caused devastating damage to the venue. His no-faffing-about approach has already generated thousands of pounds for the cause.

Morgan Bold
Morgan is the founder of The Positivity Platform, where she promotes wellness and self-care products born from her personal mental health journey. Liverpool's ‘recommendation bestie’ helps drive customers to local independent businesses and uses her platform to mentor women in business.

Tim Manning
Liverpool-born children's author Tim founded the online platform and advocacy community Team Diabuddies to make Type 1 diabetes education more accessible, relatable and supportive for children and families. His popular social media channels connect people affected by the illness and raise awareness through outreach campaigns.

The Make a Difference Award

Debbie Rogers
After losing her brother to suicide in 2019, Debbie founded Sean's Place just six months later. Today, the charity provides a safe space for men across the Liverpool City Region, offering tailored sessions that build confidence, improve wellbeing and help reduce symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety.

Eddie Hinks
After his son Colin recovered from cancer, Eddie left his career to support other families through CHICS at Alder Hey. Now 70, he continues his work with the Owen McVeigh Foundation, bringing decades of experience, compassion and understanding to families when they need it most.

Eve Donnelly
Following her own experience of domestic abuse, Eve founded Reverse CIC to provide safety, advocacy and support to survivors of domestic abuse, while working towards social change that eliminates abuse.

Leanne Lucas
Leanne is a survivor of the Southport attack and founder of Let’s Be Blunt CIC, a national prevention initiative working to reduce knife harm. Through lived experience, education, safer knife design and partnership working, she campaigns for practical changes that help prevent harm before it happens.

Child of Courage Award - not open for public vote

Unsung Hero Award - not open for public vote

The Impact Award - not open for public vote

The Inspiration Award - not open for public vote

City Region Super Hero - not open for public vote