THE Pride of Manchester Award was launched at the beginning of this year to celebrate the unsung heroes and exceptional people in our region who make a difference to the lives of others.

We invited readers to nominate those who have turned tragedy into triumph and beaten all the odds to overcome adversity for our prestigious award sponsored by Britannia.

The nominees listed here today have one thing in common. They are all people to be admired for bravery, selflessness and sense of community.

The winner and runners-up of the awards will receive cash prizes of up to £3,000 to donate to a charity of their choice.

And now is your chance to vote for who you think should receive that main prize.

Take a look at our nominee profiles, and just click on the VOTE NOW link to email us your selection.

A judging panel with then go through all the nominations and the winner and runners-up will be announced at a special awards ceremony early next year.

A spokesman for Britannia Building Society said: "We are delighted to be teaming up with the M.E.N. to support the Pride of Manchester Awards.

"Britannia's involvement was born out of our desire to recognise conscientious people and groups who have selflessly devoted their lives and shown a strong commitment to making a difference in their local community. As the biggest independent, mutually owned building society in the north west, Britannia is committed to the local community.

"We have tens of thousands of members in Greater Manchester and so we aim to give back a little of the success they have helped create in their communities.

"Over the past six years Britannia has donated over £3m to local charities and good causes through its community fund and charitable trust, the Britannia Building Society Foundation.

"Our community initiatives are not simply about giving money - we encourage members and staff to take part in initiatives and become actively involved. Branch staff across the country also regularly take it upon themselves to raise funds for local causes.

"This year, in conjunction with the M.E.N. we are giving everyone in the area the opportunity to nominate a deserving person or community group. Great communities need great people and with your support we can make a real difference to the lives of people in our local community," he said.

PEOPLE'S champ Tony Reeves, above, has spent 15 years helping young people realise their dreams.

The 49-year-old runs First Cut Media in Hulme, an organisation that aims to educate young people by making films that reflect their community's culture.

Tony first started First Cut in 1990 to counter negative perceptions of Hulme and Moss Side and has given dozens of youngsters a creative voice over the years, as well as improving their career prospects.

Graduates of the scheme have gone on to careers at Granada and the BBC, inspiring others to follow them.

JORDAN Heap proved his heroic mettle when his mother Michelle slipped into a diabetic coma.

The five-year-old from Glossop found he couldn't wake his mum, so he phoned 999.

While he waited for the ambulance the youngster went over what he'd been taught to do if he ever found his mum unconscious because her blood sugar levels had rocketed - and tried to feed her some glucose tablets.

Michelle, pictured with Jordan, has since made a full recovery.

KIRSTY Ashton, left, has battled illness to raise thousands for charity.

The 15-year-old, from Wythenshawe, has an incurable condition called neurofibromatosis, which causes tumours and curvature of the spine, forcing her to wear a body brace.

But over the last two years, Kirsty, who is studying for GCSEs at Altrincham College of Art, has raised over £4000 for children's charity When you Wish Upon A Star.

She has also set up a website to help kids with similar conditions and checked her web page every day while in hospital in case others needed her help.

VOTE HERE

KATE Hallam, left, piled on the pounds to help save her brother's life - before shedding the weight to launch a modelling career.

Kate, 21, of Buxton, triumphed in a Derbyshire heat of the Miss Great Britain competition earlier this month.

But as a teenager her dreams of a modelling career were put on hold when her brother Chris, 27, got sick with leukaemia. Doctors found Kate was the perfect bone marrow match, but because she was too slim for the gruelling procedure she had to binge on pies and pasties so she could help her brother.

The operation was a success - but Kate had a brush with death after contracting a deadly strain of meningitis.

LIFESAVER Graham Bingham swung into action after a city centre accident.

In February the dad-of-four, from Rochdale, turned hero after a bus crashed into a wooden hoarding, trapping a woman.

Gloria Hutton, 60, turned blue as her chest was crushed by the vehicle's enormous weight, but Graham took swift control of the situation and got drivers and shoppers to bear the weight of the bus while he freed one of her legs, keeping her conscious until emergency services arrived.

Gloria, from Stoke-on-Trent, has since recovered from hip and pelvic injuries.

When we first reported his extraordinary feat modest Graham told the MEN: "I don't want thanks - I just hope someone in the same position would do the same for me if I was ever in an accident."

VOTE HERE

FORWARD-THINKING Trevor Burchick knows a thing or two about the meaning of community spirit.

In August the 44-year-old development consultant launched the first-ever Pride Games for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual sportspeople.

The event cemented Manchester's reputation as a tolerant, cosmopolitan city and attracted 700 athletes from around the globe to compete in 14 disciplines.

The Pride Games is not only another string to Manchester's tourism bow; it has a far-reaching legacy for leisure in the city.

Just like the Commonwealth Games, the event brought hundreds of strangers together through volunteering - and LGBT sports clubs have mushroomed in the city as a result.

VOTE HERE

WONDER woman Hazel Wilson has been her family's rock since her husband fell desperately ill.

The 42-year-old mum-of-two manages a household, and juggles a job as a welfare assistant while nursing her husband John, an emphysema sufferer who has had a double lung transplant.

Hazel's daughter Danielle told the MEN: "She gives him all his anti-rejection medication, day and night.

"She does everything else like the cooking, driving, cleaning and ironing, as well as looking after me and my sister Leanne, but she has never complained, she's just got on with it."

EXCEPTIONAL Austin Cotton didn't think twice about charging into a burning house to save the lives of four children.

The fire happened last year, at Hollymount Gardens, Stockport, when plugged-in hair straighteners were left on a bed.

Dad Mark Grocott left twins Sam and Charlotte Naylor, eight, their half-brother and sister Elliot, four, and Charley, one, with a 13-year-old babysitter in the house.

Austin, a 36-year-old teacher, heard the smoke alarm from two doors away and rushed to help. He climbed a ladder to a bedroom window but couldn't open it, so got a wrench from his car to smash it.

After rescuing baby Charley from a smoke-filled room he went back for the other children, using rescue skills learned from the Boys Brigade. For his heroism he received a commendation from the fire service.

VOTE HERE

*Alternatively, you can write in with your selection to: Pride of Manchester, C/0 Manchester Evening News, 164 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3RN, writing the name of your favourite candidate on the back of the envelope.