THE Pride of St Helens awards are to take place this Friday night in a celebration of the borough's community heroes.

There will be prizes awarded in 11 categories on the night at Saints' stadium.

Here are the nominees for the Carmel College Leadership award.

 

Mark Dickinson

LEGH Vale Primary School assistant head teacher Mark Dickinson has dedicated himself to helping children have a more active lifestyle and learn values of determination and teamwork.

Mark has shared his passion for athletics at the school – inspiring the pupils to take up the sport and compete.

Mark’s work has seen the school win the St Helens Sportshall Athletics Championships an incredible 10 times in a row – and the Merseyside County finals six times. And in 2011 the school became national champions.

In July 2018, he inspired pupils and colleagues to help the school publish a 113-page sports magazine outlining their achievements.

Mark has been running after-school sports clubs for 20 years to give all children the opportunity to be part of the tremendous success story.

Mark has been described as “an inspiring colleague that we can only look up to” and “an outstanding leader” who developed many gifted children with his “drive and attention to detail”.

 

Ellen Murray

AFTER Ellen Murray made the decision to improve her fitness she decided to do what she could to help other women who may feel too nervous about going to a gym.

Ellen, 31, has run ladies-only fitness club Heatone Fitness for more than five years and has seen numbers grow – with around 400 members from a wide range of ages.

Classes blend exercise, nutrition education, mindset coaching and have a focus on health and wellbeing.

The club has surpassed Ellen’s expectations and holds classes in Thatto Heath; Rainford; Whiston; Ormskirk and Liverpool.

She was inspired to set up the club after she worked to get herself fit.

Ellen, from Windle, said: “If I can do it, I thought I’d support other women to do it in an environment where no one is judging them and everyone is supporting each other. It is real women who come together, it’s not gym bunnies, it’s women who would be too nervous to attend a gym.

“It is really rewarding, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Having a team is great and allows me to have a family as well.”

 

Neil McFarlane

WHEN one pupil at Thatto Heath Primary School was grieving the loss of his little brother, Neil McFarlane went out of his way to provide support.

Thomas was left devastated after he lost three-year-old brother Jake Stanley on January 21, 2017, who was given a drug overdose in hospital to treat a seizure.

With Thomas having a keen interest in I.T, Neil decided to give up most of his dinner times over the course of a year to help Thomas take his mind off things.

He gave Thomas IT-related activities to do and offered vital support.

On one occasion, Neil, along with a teaching assistant, even took Thomas outside to fly the school’s drone

Thomas’ parents Anne-Marie and Ian said: “We would like to thank Mr McFarlane publicly and feel he deserves to be recognised for going above and beyond for his pupils.

“Our older son Thomas was devastated at the loss of his little brother and he struggled badly to come to terms with life without him.

“He (Neil) has been a friend to Thomas when he needed one the most.”