It might be employees wishing to thank a manager who has gone that extra mile for staff to make sure their life at work is as enjoyable as possible.
But it could also be someone who has led or inspired a team through a tough time, or perhaps led them on a journey to the top of their field.
A good leader might also be one of the team, always ready to roll their sleeves up and set an example to the rest, or it could be someone who knows how to get the best out of their colleagues.
This award is not restricted to those at the very top, because leaders can be found at every stage of life and every stage of the workforce. Life needs leaders, and the good ones should be celebrated.
Meet the three finalists:
Eduardo da Silva Afonso
Age: 35
Parish: St Helier
Nominated by: Cátia Afonso
NOMINATOR: Cátia Afonso
What was it about Eduardo that made you want to nominate him for a Pride of Jersey award?
‘I nominated my brother because I feel he deserves to be recognised, not only for the job he is paid to do, but the passion, love and care he puts in and shows to his colleagues and the people he cares for.
‘In addition to this, the love he shows for everyone else in his everyday life.’
What makes Eduardo different from the others in this category or already doing similar work elsewhere?
‘I believe that anyone can be inspirational as anyone can be spontaneous in having a sudden brilliance or revelation which can have a direct influence on others around.
‘The thing that makes my brother different and makes him stand out from others is that his inspiration is not spontaneous.
‘It’s a trait he has grown up with, a characteristic, his personality, almost contagious, that he makes you wish you could have a little bit.
‘It comes naturally to him and not something that he has to exercise towards others.
‘You can see this easily by the way he works with other colleagues or the people he cares for, or the children and adults he teaches in his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes with his cousin.’
NOMINEE: Eduardo da Silva Afonso
What would it mean to you to win a Pride of Jersey award?
‘It would be pretty special, especially because I have been nominated by someone else.
‘It shows that what I do at work and my volunteering is recognised by the public.
‘If I win, it will be up there with anything that I have ever achieved on a personal level – and I will have a very proud sister too.’
What does it mean to you to have been nominated for a Pride of Jersey award and to have received the backing of the public to reach the final three?
‘When my sister nominated me I was a bit surprised.
‘I saw the nice words that she said about me and that alone would have been good enough for me.
‘But when the voting opened and I started getting messages, phone calls, mentions on social media, parents of the service users saying they were voting for me, the mentions I was getting on the Jersey Surf Club page – all of that was more than I could ever have dreamed of.
‘It was just so good to see different people supporting me and recognising the work I do.
‘It was special when a random person asked me if it was me in the paper while I was walking down the street.
‘It’s a one-of-a-kind award, and as it is a public vote, I didn’t expect to get this far.
‘I never expected to get to the final three, so I was stoked when I got the call from the paper.
‘Just having that call is a win in itself.
‘It has been a great experience and I would like to win it, but I feel happy, and it has been wonderful to receive all the support since I was nominated.
‘Even if I don’t win, I got a few lines on the biggest publication in the Channel Islands and I got a bit of attention for the work we do with adults with special needs.’
Adelina d’Orleans
Age: 34
Parish: St Helier
Nominated by: Youth Inclusion Project staff members Anna Peters and Ian Moulson
What would it mean to you to win a Pride of Jersey Award?
‘I couldn’t count how many amazing people I work with on a daily basis who help improve the lives of young people in Jersey, whether it is my fellow youth workers within the Jersey Youth Service or the many services on offer to support young people with disabilities.
‘So to be put forward for an award among some of these wonderful people is very humbling.
‘To win the award would go above and beyond my expectations, but it would certainly be a win for Inclusion!
‘I may have been put forward for ‘Inspirational Leader’ but that wouldn’t be possible without an inspirational team and a group of outstanding young people that continue to amaze me, even after ten years of working with the project.
‘I know how lucky I am to be working with these young people, but winning a Pride of Jersey Award on behalf of the project would just be the icing on a very special cake and would hopefully inspire other people to look into working with the Youth Service or helping improve the lives of people with disabilities.
What does it mean to have been nominated for a Pride of Jersey Award and to have received the backing of the public to reach the final three?
‘When I first got the phone call from the JEP I did actually laugh!
‘I had spent a lot of time talking with staff about the awards as I put forward three people for various categories for being ‘Friends of Inclusion.’
‘I just presumed they would be calling about the nominations I had made.
‘I was totally overwhelmed and quite emotional as it was such a huge surprise and so unexpected.
‘I know the nomination was backed by all the staff of the project and I can’t thank them enough.
‘The project is not something that can be run by just one person, it is absolutely a team effort and every staff member, volunteer or buddy should be recognised for their contributions too.
‘I am very lucky that I get to do something that I love every day, and knowing that somehow we all make a difference to the lives of the young people we work with is such a great achievement for us all.
‘I am so grateful to the public for choosing to give me one of their votes as I know this will mean more people will become aware of The Inclusion Project.
‘We currently have approximately 80 young people accessing the project but I know there will be more that may not have heard of us yet that will be able to benefit from our youth club sessions and social opportunities.
‘So a huge thank you to every single person who clicked the ‘vote’ button!’
Paul McMurray
Age: 49
Nominated by: Neil Roberts
NOMINATOR: Neil Roberts
‘Before I answer these questions I want it to be known to the judges that Paul McMurray tragically lost his fight against cancer on Tuesday, 25 August.
‘This was a fight that had been on going for more than two years which he fought with every ounce of strength and passion he had.
‘He passed peacefully in his sleep with his family surrounding him.
‘I write the following answers a couple of days after the tragic loss, which has impacted us all as a whole all over the world, as this man was inspirational to many people of different cultures and backgrounds.’
What was it about Paul that made you want to nominate him for a Pride of Jersey award?
At the time of me nominating Paul for the ‘Inspirational Leader’ award it was how he was battling through his terminal cancer for nearly two years and kept fighting it.
‘He did all of his chemo and radiation therapy while still committing to the Les Quennevais School Kenpo Karate club he ran for 15 years.
‘His presence was always felt.
‘Even when I could see him in pain I would tell him, ‘Sir, go home you are in pain.’
‘His instant response would be, ‘I will still be in pain at home’ which showed to me the sheer love he had for the martial arts.
‘Paul travelled through the pain and took his entire family – Tracey, his wife, Jodie, Khiai and Cheyenne, which was something Paul had said to me he always wanted to do.
‘Everyone could see how affected he was by the pain but he never once succumbed to it or even moaned.
‘To me that’s what being an inspirational leader is all about, that even when you had this horrific illness you pursue what you love in life the most.
What makes Paul different from the others in this category or already doing similar work elsewhere?
‘To me it is the scale of which Paul was an inspirational leader.
‘It was not just him being an inspirational leader to his Kenpo club, police colleagues or our little island of Jersey.
‘It was the influence he had on people all over the world.
‘At the time of his passing I had phone calls, emails, texts, Facebook message etc from as far as Venezuela offering me and his family condolences and sympathy.
‘The grand scale of people which Paul was inspirational to is truly astounding and something I didn’t ever expect.’
‘CORPORATE social responsibility is very important to us,’ explained general manager Siobhán McDermott.
‘I am a big believer in putting something back, and I think there is enough for everything to go around.
‘It’s good to help people. It gives people a great feeling of community that they are working towards something.
‘Jersey is a small but very proud community and it is great that the Pride of Jersey Awards recognise people for what they are doing.
‘It creates a feeling of well-being.’
Speaking about the Inspirational Leader category, she added: ‘It goes back to us starting off as a small Jersey company and now being an international beauty company, and that was all down to inspirational leadership.
‘We were founded by two entrepreneurs who were so driven.
‘They came up against barriers but found ways round them.
‘Their theory was to employ people who could do the job better than they could, so they really empowered people in the business and you always felt you were part of something. It was an amazing thing to be part of.
‘That’s why we felt an affinity with this award as, without our leaders, we wouldn’t be where we are today.’
Talking about the eventual winner, she said:
‘There are different types of leaders for different stages of a business. Leaders have to think about the people they are leading.
‘They could also be at any level, as you need inspiration throughout the company.’
