Latest Community Pride Awards contenders

Peter Fitton, a Year Ten pupil at Canon Lee School, in York, has been put forward in the Nestlé-sponsored Spirit Of Youth category after impressing his assistant head teacher with his determination.

Nichola Crawford said the 16-year-old had recently taken part in a city-wide Dragons’ Den-style competition, in which his group had come up with the idea of challenging schools to set up an allotment and use their produce in the canteen.

She said his group’s idea had won the competition – but Peter had wanted to go one step further and turn it into a reality.

She said: “I am really excited to see this project grow and want to praise Peter for his obvious self-determination, confidence and ability to share this with other people in a really productive and admirable way.”

Meanwhile, Fulford councillor Keith Aspden has nominated the Friends of Fulford Community Orchard for Best Community Project – a category sponsored by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Since February 2009, the group has been working tirelessly to bring a neglected orchard at the site of the former Naburn Hospital, next to the Designer Outlet Village, back to life. They have uncovered 56 plum, pear and apple trees and also secured funding to put up a fence and sign.

Finally, brothers Navid and Fahad Khan, who run Costcutter, in Heworth Road, are in the running for the Service With A Smile gong.

They were put forward by customers Richard and Stasia Billinge, who said it was a pleasure to go into their shop.

They said: “They fulfil a much-needed social role by making friends with their regular customers, many of whom are elderly and possibly living a lonely existence with nobody to talk to.”