By last night, almost 120 people had already been nominated across 13 categories.
Today, we are launching a new award – Mental Health Champion of the Year – to honour those who have gone above and beyond to improve the welfare of others during what has been an exceptional and, for many, difficult year.
Sponsored by JT, the category is open to anyone who has worked to improve the mental health of others during the past 12 months, including individuals who work for the health service or a charity and others who have taken it upon themselves to do what they can to better the wellbeing of fellow Islanders.
Richard Heath, JEP deputy editor, said: ‘The Covid-19 pandemic has affected many Islanders in many different ways.
‘In the early stages of the outbreak we all feared the physical consequences of the disease, but as the pandemic grew and the lockdown began, it became clear that it was impacting greatly on the mental health of many Islanders too.
‘Whether it was the stresses caused by isolation, or the fear of catching Covid-19, or worries over finances or job security, we know that the events of this year have seriously affected people’s mental wellbeing.
‘We also know that there are many, many people out there who have worked tirelessly to help those in need in many different ways, and we are calling on our readers to come forward and give them the recognition they deserve.’
He added: ‘We are extremely grateful to JT for coming forward to sponsor this award. To give Islanders time to put people forward for this and the other 13 awards we have decided to extend the nomination period for a further two weeks. I would urge Islanders not to hesitate in nominating those they believe deserve recognition. It has been an extraordinary year, and there are many extraordinary people who deserve to be honoured.’
Nominations will now close on Monday 14 September. To nominate, visit prideofjersey.com or complete the nomination forms which are printed in the JEP.
All nominees will be put to a public vote and the top three from each section will be assessed by a judging panel.
The finalists will be invited to the awards ceremony in December, which will once again be presented by former footballer Graeme Le Saux and singer Georgi Mottram.
