Surgical spirit!

PRIDE nomination . . . doctors and staff at Royton Wellbeing Centre

DOCTORS and staff at Royton Health and Wellbeing Centre have been nominated for a Pride In Oldham award.

Chronicle reader Sandra Corbett, who is a patient at the Park Street centre in Royton, put the staff forward to the shortlist.

Sandra said: "All the staff at the health centre are kind, caring and reassuring. Nothing is too much trouble for them. They really deserve a Pride in Oldham award."

Practice manager Jo Horton said: "It's quite an honour for us to be nominated for an award. It's good to know that patients feel we give them a good service. We aim to provide a quality, caring service which is well-organised and makes the best use of the resources that we have."

Now in its 15th year, the Pride in Oldham awards feature the best community stars and unsung heroes, giving them a much-deserved moment in the public spotlight. This year's awards dinner will be held at Queen Elizabeth Hall on Friday, November 18.

Since the awards first began in 2002, there have been more than 100 winners walking the red carpet, while hundreds more have been shortlisted as worthy finalists.

The awards celebrate individuals and groups who go above and beyond the call of duty ­- from charity stalwarts and community groups to dedicated professionals and hard-working schools.

Nominees can be put forward in a range of award categories ­- Voluntary, Professional, Group, Business, Health Worker, Education Worker, Schools and Special Achievement.

Readers get the chance to choose the winner of the Chronicle Readers' Choice Award from across all the categories.

There are also two special categories: Love Where You Live ­- which recognises those who have made a special effort under the council-inspired community project ­- and the Freeman Meacher Oldham Ambassador Award, for people who are promoting Oldham to the rest of the country and beyond.

An independent judging panel will assess all the nominations and draw up a shortlist of three finalists in each category.

Sponsors are also vital in supporting the Pride in Oldham awards. Molnlycke has been a sponsor since the awards started and JW Lees Brewery, First Choice Homes Oldham and The Stoller Charitable Trust have given excellent support over the years.

There is still time to nominate someone for an award. Simply send an email to news@oldham-chronicle.co.uk.

The deadline for nominations is September 30.