An evening to celebrate our special people
After months of build up and a tough judging process, South Tyneside’s stars were finally honoured at the seventh annual Pride of South Tyneside Awards, which took place at The Customs House on 9 July 2009.
The event is organised by South Tyneside Council, The Customs House and The Shields Gazette and recognises the simple acts of kindness and things that people do every day that contribute to the strong community spirit, which makes South Tyneside a special place.
There were 10 categories with 14 winners walking away with a pride award. The three child of courage (under 16s) finalists all walked away joint winners of their category and brought the awards to an emotional stand still with their bravery.
For their hard work in helping to put South Tyneside on the map, the joint winners of the judges’ special award were fish and chip restaurant Colmans of South Shields and Westoe Rugby Football Club. Irene Lucas, departing Chief Executive of South Tyneside Council also won an award for her contributions to the borough during the seven years she has been in post.
Young performer(s) of the year (under 21s) winner, Emilie Fleming, was also picked from a finalists’ prize draw to win a screening of film of her choice at The Customs House cinema for herself and one hundred friends. The prize was courtesy of Ford Component Manufacturing Ltd and Ford Aerospace Ltd who sponsored the evening’s prizes.
Our finalists were not the only stars of the show. The awards also saw celebrity presenters gracing the stage to announce category winners. Dogs Body from Metro Radio, Charlie Hardwick, Tim Healy, Tony Jeffries and Denise Welch also sent recorded messages of congratulation to all the finalists, which added to the excitement.
The winners of this year's awards
The night also showcased South Tyneside’s performing talent with entertainment being provided by the four young performer(s) of the year (under 21s) finalists. The cast of Rent starred in the finale with their performance of Seasons of Love.
Once again, our thanks extend to everyone involved in this year’s awards, especially our family of sponsors who made the whole event possible.
Experience the Pride of South Tyneside Awards 2009 on DVD
To experience the excitement of the event or enjoy the occasion over again, a DVD of the night can be ordered through The Customs House box office by calling 0191 454 1234 for only £13.
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