THE hunt is on to find the unsung heroes in York who selflessly give up their time to make a difference to other people’s lives through sport.

We want to hear about the extraordinary achievements of coaches, ground staff, referees and sandwich-makers – all those people whose contribution to York’s sporting community deserves some recognition.

We also want to hear about the sporting stars who have made York proud by their success in amateur competitions.

Thanks to York Racecourse, which has generously sponsored the Sporting Hero category of our Community Pride Awards, we want to give these remarkable people their moment in the spotlight.

James Brennan, the racecourse’s marketing manager, said: “We see sporting heroes such as Frankie Detorri, as well as sporting heroes who come here on their rest days, such as ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, so it’s only natural for us to support our local community sporting heroes.

“When we look out across the racecourse on non-race day Saturday mornings, we can see coaches and teams putting in the blood, sweat and tears on the football pitches.

“We can also see the running clubs out training, the cricket club on Little Knavesmire and we’ve also got members of our own team who give riding lessons to children on Saturday mornings.

“There are so many people in York contributing to sport in our community, and the benefits that follow from that in terms of people learning team work and getting fit are so important.

“To be nominated for an award is a smashing reward for all the hard work they’ve been doing and we’re pleased to be able to offer our support to them in this small way.”

The deadline for entries to our Community Pride Awards, which are being run in partnership with City of York Council and Benenden Healthcare Society, is Friday, July 23.

A panel of judges will then draw up a shortlist, and finalists from each category will be invited to a ceremony at York Racecourse in October.

To make a nomination, fill in the coupon that accompanies this article and return it with a supporting statement setting out why your nominee deserves an award.