A TEN-YEAR-OLD boy has put pen to paper to nominate his mum as Parent Of The Year in our Community Pride Awards.

Luke Cooke, of Acomb, in York, said he wanted to put forward his mum, Joanne, for the accolade to show her how much he loves her.

The youngster, who said he received help writing the letter because he suffers from dyslexia, said: “I love her to bits. She is so caring, kind and really, really cool. She even knows the rules of a rugby game.

“I know she works really, really hard, but she still has time to take me to my boxing lessons, rugby training and games and trips out at the weekend and in the school holidays.

“I realised more this year how much my mum means to me when I found I had dyslexia. My mum has helped so much to understand me and what is different about me to anyone else and why I find it difficult to do simple things with my learning.

“She works really hard to give me the things I need, like computers and books to help me with my learning. I love my mum very much.”

Joanne, 40, who has two other children and works as a healthcare assistant, is the latest contender in the 2010 Community Pride Awards, which we are running in conjunction with City of York Council and Benenden Healthcare Society.

With 13 different categories, the awards aim to honour the city’s unsung heroes – and we are relying on our readers to let us know about them.

To make a nomination, fill in the entry form and return it with a supporting statement setting out why your nominee deserves an award.

The deadline for entries is Friday, July 23, after which a panel of judges will draw up a shortlist, and finalists from each category will be invited to a ceremony at York Racecourse in October.


York Press: Community Pride Awards 2010 - categories and sponsors