BBC Radio Bristol awards community champions

A woman who has helped to raise £440,000 for a motor neurone disease charity has been honoured for being a "beacon of light".

Louise Stewart, from Bristol, is the wife of former Bristol Rovers striker Marcus Stewart, who was diagnosed with the degenerative condition in September 2022.

She was celebrated alongside others at BBC Radio Bristol's Make a Difference Awards.

Twenty-nine finalists were recognised for going above and beyond to help others at a ceremony at Aerospace Bristol, the home of the last Concorde to fly.

Mrs Stewart, trustee of the Darby Rimmer Foundation which aims to create awareness of MND, received the Fundraiser Award.

In her award acceptance, Mrs Stewart said: "We started because we thought where can we channel this negative energy we had. You know it was a horrible diagnosis."

Deniece Dixon, who set up Cafe Conscious in Barton Hill in Bristol, was the winner in the Great Neighbour category.

During the 2023 evacuation of the 14-storey Barton House tower block in Bristol, Deniece opened up her cafe out of hours to offer a place of refuge for residents.

Deniece was described as "a true Humanitarian, who continues to have a positive impact on the local community” by the person who nominated her.

The winner of the Morning Live Community Award was Mamas Bristol CIC which exists to support anyone raising children by reducing the costs families face.

Laura Tuner who has been supported by the group and now volunteers for them said "we hope that everybody that has anything to do with us knows that they’ll never be alone".

The Green Award winner was Liese Stanley who set up Portishead Community Fridge which saves food from going to waste by sharing it with the community.

Ms Stanley said: "Doing something really simple and really straightforward is just a joy. I have that moral responsibility – we should all do something for the planet. It makes me feel that I’m doing something positive".

Ocho the mobility assistance dog was presented with the Animal Award for his work supporting his owner Chloë Hammond.

Chloë, from Weston-super-Mare, has multiple disabilities including Behçet's disease and Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and it is believed she is the only working nurse with a wheelchair and an assistance dog in the UK.

"I couldn't be me without him,” Chloë said. “I was really unwell with Covid and I accidentally overdosed. I came round with his nose in my mouth trying to wake me up. So, I do give him credit with saving my life”.

Kim Edwards, from Winterbourne in South Gloucestershire, was chosen as the winner of the Bravery Award.

Ms Edwards was nominated for her role in saving the life of a young man who had an accident on his bike outside her house.

Former Concorde pilot and judge John Tye said "there is no better, braver thing to do than to save the life of another human being”.

Carina Andrews, from Bristol, was chosen as the Carer Award winner for her work with Invisible Army, which she set up to support unpaid carers.

Ms Edwards is an unpaid carer for her mum and was an unpaid carer for her dad for 12 years too.

Bristolian The Traitors contestant and Carer Award judge Charlie Bees said: "Carina, you’ve made such a massive sacrifice for everyone you helped."

'Happier and easier'

The winner of the Volunteer Award was nurse Mandy Newport from Kingswood, in South Gloucestershire.

She was recognised for the voluntary work she does locally – cooking and donating meals to refugees awaiting settled status, organising street parties and also offering health advice to her neighbours.

Ms Newport said: "For me, volunteering is just something I love to do and I just wish more people would love to do it because it would make life a lot happier and easier."

All finalists received a trophy to recognise their achievements.

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