YORK’S heroes have been honoured during an awards ceremony to celebrate inspirational achievements.

The culmination of this year’s Community Pride Awards, organised by The Press and City of York Council, and sponsored by Benenden, saw the nominees and their families gather at York Racecourse as the winners of all 12 categories were announced.

Welcoming guests, The Press deputy editor Stuart Martel congratulated all the “unsung” people at the event. He said: “The Community Pride awards hold a special place in the hearts of the people of York as an opportunity to thank all those unsung heroes who do so much to help others and make our city the great place that it is.”

Four remarkable young people were the joint winners of the Child of the Year award.

Brave Blake Knaggs is battling the incurable Mucolipidosis II ML2 (MPS). He is one of only 57 people worldwide to be diagnosed with the condition.

Winner Jazlyn Smith competes in triathlons to raise money for York Against Cancer and Skylar Nevens is “a wonderful asset to our community” who helps her parents look after foster children. The fourth winner was Lilia Warman, aged seven, who has a rare form of epilepsy - electrical status epilepticus during slow wave sleep.

Youngsters from All Saints RC School’s Action Minds won this year’s Spirit of Youth category. The group helps pupils at school struggling with their mental health and offers them support and advice. They were joined on the winner’s podium by charity fundraiser Ian Jones, who raised money by organising two bike rides from York City’s Bootham Crescent to Northampton’s Sixfields stadium. Portakabin employees Mick Stone and John Clarke won Volunteer of the Year for re-building Huntington Pre-School’s play area.

One of the most important awards of the night went to Ian Donaghy, who was crowned Person of the Year. The frontman of the York band Huge won for organising and performing in various charity concerts throughout the year.

His Night To Remember charity concert at The Barbican in March raised £22,000 for St Leonard’s Hospice and three York Dementia projects.

Sue Cordell was named Teacher of the Year for teaching children at Millthorpe School for more than 25 years and was honoured as a valuable asset to the next generation of teachers.

Westfield Primary School won School of the Year, rugby league stalwart Spen Allison won the Sporting Hero award, and Best Community Project went to Dementia Forward for their important work. Top prizes were also went to YorHome worker Sandra Fell and lollipop lady Sylvia Barker, in the Public Sector Hero category, Carolyn Bedford was named Health Service Hero and Jayne Graham was crowned Good Neighbour of the Year.