Last chance to nominate for Visitor Sunshine Awards

The Visitor’s ninth annual Sunshine Awards takes place at the Midland Hotel on Friday May 4.

The prestigious event is an important date in the Visitor’s calendar and will also raise funds for the Team Reece charity.

Team Reece, set up by Reece Holt who has terminal brain cancer, and his mum, Rachel, aims to help children with cancer and their families.

The awards are your chance to nominate individuals and organisations who deserve a pat on the back.

The deadline for nominations is Friday March 23 so get your thinking caps on!

Below is a full list of categories including a new award, the Bar/Restaurant Award, sponsored by Cross Bay Brewing Company.

*YOUNG ACHIEVER - sponsored by Lancaster & Morecambe College

The Sunshine Young Achiever award will be awarded to a young person (aged 18 or under) in any field who has had an outstanding impact during the year.

*BUSINESS- sponsored by the Arndale Centre

The Sunshine Business Award will be given to a Morecambe business who has either excelled in the past year, contributed greatly to the local economy or been a mainstay of the town for many years.

*SPORT - sponsored by X Force 3-1-5 Health Club

The Sunshine Sport award will be given to an individual or a team who have excelled in the sporting arena.

This could be a Morecambe sports person of any age, or a manager, trainer or coach, or a team.

*ENTERTAINMENT - sponsored by The Greyhound Inn

The Sunshine Entertainment award will be given to an individual or group who has produced sterling work in the field of Morecambe entertainment, whether it’s in music, dance, performance arts, theatre, TV or comedy.

The winner could be a performer, a teacher, an arts worker or anyone involved in entertainment who is connected to Morecambe, a town with a great tradition in the field.

*COMMUNITY GROUP -sponsored by Seatruck Ferries

The Sunshine Community award will be awarded to a community group.

This could be an organisation, charity or similar.

The winning group will have made positive difference to the community of Morecambe.

*CHARITY FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR - sponsored by Hodgsons Chippy

The Sunshine Charity of The Year award will be given to an individual who works tirelessly to raise funds for a great cause, going to incredible lengths and showing exceptional dedication.

*STUDENT OF THE YEAR - sponsored by Lancaster Royal Grammar School

The Sunshine Student of The Year award will be given to a student who shows initiative, possesses outstanding career prospects, has accomplished extra curricular achievements as well as demonstrating an excellent academic record.

*HEALTH HERO - sponsored by Holywell Care Group.

The Sunshine Health Hero award will be given to an individual for excellence in healthcare, in the public, private or voluntary sector.

*UNSUNG HERO - sponsored by Specsavers

The Sunshine Unsung Hero award will be awarded to an individual who deserves recognition for their work in the Morecambe community.

He or she could be a charity or community worker, a teacher, a group leader or anyone who sums up the term unsung hero.’

*BAR/RESTAURANT - sponsored by Cross Bay Brewing Company

The Sunshine Bar/Restaurant award will recognise the business that puts their bar or restaurant in the forefront of their industry for its outstanding service, cuisine and congenial surroundings.

You can nominate for the Sunshine Awards in the following ways:

*By email: Send the name of your nominee and a reason why they have been nominated to [email protected].

*By social media: Message us the name of your nominee and a reason why they have been nominated at our Facebook page facebook.com/thevisitornewspaper or our Twitter page @the_visitor.

*By letter: Write to us with your nominee and reason at Sunshine Awards, The Visitor, 41 Northgate, White Lund, Morecambe, LA3 3PA.

Or you can fill in an entry form at the website here

The new above website has been officially set up to cater for the Sunshine Awards.

On here you can find all the relevant information including categories, sponsors, pictures, and to enquire regarding tickets.

If you would like to come to the awards tickets cost £49.

The Ambassador Award, dedicated to someone who has brought glory to the town, is not open for nominations and will be chosen by the Sunshine Awards committee.

Winners will be decided by a judging panel and finalists will be invited to the event.