The BirminghamLive Pride of Birmingham Awards with TSB returns for 2023 on Monday 6 March at The Great Hall, University of Birmingham, to celebrate ordinary Brummies doing extraordinary things. The star-studded awards ceremony, hosted by presenter and actor, Kym Marsh, will see people of all ages and walks of life recognised for their heroic acts and community contributions.
This year’s event celebrates winners from across the region for their awe-inspiring achievements; Whether they performed outstanding acts of courage, fought seemingly hopeless battles against the odds, displayed boundless compassion, or inspired everyone with their tireless campaigning for others.
The local heroes will be recognised across 10 categories, including Child of Courage, Spirit of Birmingham, Triumph Over Adversity, and the Emergency Services Award. This year’s winners include Finley Hassall (aged 11), who saved a little boy’s life by using RNLI’s ‘float to live technique’ and Eve Abley, a teenager with cerebral palsy who has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds using her stand-up comedy act to break down barriers.
The full list of Pride of Birmingham Awards 2023 winners are:
- Child of Courage: Finley Hassall, aged 11 from Kingswinfoord – saved a boy’s life using the RNLI’s ‘Float To Live’ technique.
- Stephen Sutton Inspiration Award: Eva Abley, aged 14 from Cannock – a teenager with cerebral palsy who made it to the finals of Britain’s Got Talent with her comedy routine
- Emergency Services Award: Deena Evans and Michael Hipgrave, aged 41 and 52 from Wolverhampton – two paramedics who were attacked by a knifeman when attending a wellness check with the police.
- Outstanding Contribution: Chris Hoare, aged 75 from Edgbaston – formed the Birmingham Southwest Community Group in the early noughties to reform his crime-ridden estate.
- Lifetime Achievement: Reverend Canon Eve Pitts from Birchfield, Birmingham – made The Church of England’s first black female vicar in 1994, and has since spent decades supporting parishioners, challenging racism, and calling out institutional prejudice in her own faith.
- TSB Community Hero: Asha Rage, aged 45 from Small Heath – set up Dream Chasers FC in Small Heath to help get young people off the streets, which now has 160 players training weekly.
- Triumph Over Adversity: The Chatting Family, from Lichfield – started the charity Carter The Brave and have raised over £330,000 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
- Special Recognition Award: Dawn Astle, 55 from Swadlincote – Daughter of the former West Brom and England striker Jeff Astle, who died when he was 59 from early onset dementia. She launched the Jeff Astle Foundation in 2015 to raise awareness of brain injury in sport.
- Special Recognition Award: Delores and Hector Pinkney, 71 and 70 from Handsworth – established the UK’s first independent Black organisation, The African Caribbean Self-Help Organisation, and the Dojo Project, which helps elderly people from ethnic minority backgrounds.
- Spirit of Birmingham: The Commonwealth Games Volunteers – the army of 14,000 volunteers, without whom the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games couldn’t have happened.
This year’s ceremony will be a star-studded event, with a host of celebrities set to attend on the night to celebrate the city’s heroes, such as Strictly Come Dancing’s Amy Dowden, Love Island’s Alex and Olivia Bowen, actor David Bradley, and singers Ruby Turner and Lady Leshurr, to name a few.
On their partnership with the awards, Jodie O’Leary, Customer Services Director at TSB, said: “At TSB, we pride ourselves on being at the heart of the communities we serve, and the Pride of Birmingham awards are all about recognising the everyday heroes in those communities. As a proud Brummie myself, it is a huge honour to be part of the judging panel and is truly a humbling and heart-warming experience to hear the amazing stories behind every one of the nominees.”
Kym Marsh said: “This is such an amazing group of winners. Their courage, selfless dedication, inspiration and kindness are exactly what the world needs right now. Hearing their incredible stories can’t fail to inspire you, and restore your faith in humanity. I can’t wait to meet them.”
The BirminghamLive Pride of Birmingham Awards with TSB is available to watch from 9 March, via the official Pride of Britain social media channels: @prideofbritain. To find out more, visit: www.prideofbritain.com/birmingham.
