WIRRAL people are putting pen to paper to name their "hearts of gold"!

And the judges who have to choose, from your nominations, the winner of this year's Wirral Volunteer of the Year Award will clearly have some mighty difficult decisions to make.

Among the latest names to be put forward by the public is a woman who provides support and a telephone help line to bereaved parents - and a man who gives five days a week to helping people enjoy retirement.

The woman, who helps and supports bereaved parents under the umbrella of a compassionate charity, is also one of the many volunteers who give of their time and skill to another local charity, Wirral Holistic Care Services.

She has been nominated under the Employed (for volunteering in their own time) category. "She has worked with the bereavement organisation for more than seven years on an average of three hours per week and with the cancer charity for about nine years," writes her nominator.

The man - all those whose names are put forward must remain anonymous until the winners are announced - has been put forward in the Older Person (over 65) category.

His nominator writes: "He was a founder member 15 years ago of a retirement group which organises 27 different activities - including sport, singing, dancing, French Conversation, bridge, painting and rambling - and liaises with local authorities in furthering the interest of over 1,500 members."

Meanwhile, nominations continue to arrive at the Hamilton Square, Birkenhead, offices of Wirral Council for Voluntary Service (CVS), organisers of the hugely successful Wirral Volunteer of the Year Award, which salutes those whose voluntary work often goes unnoticed.

It is you - the public - who will decide who follows in the footsteps of the three previous winners, Eastham's Bill Hughes, the first ever recipient in 1995, Mary (May) Burscough, of Rock Ferry, and the current title holder, Walter Robinson, of Wallasey.

Closing date for nominations is Saturday, April 25. Category winners and the overall winner will be announced at a special presentation evening at The Pyramids Shopping Centre, Birkenhead, on Thursday, June 4.

Nomination forms are available at all CVS offices, Wirral libraries, community centres, Marks & Spencer, Birkenhead, and the Wirral Globe offices in Catherine Street.

The six categories

This year's six category awards are:-

1: Unemployed

2: Employed (for volunteering in their own time)

3: Young Person (Under-25)

4: Older Person (Over 65)

5: Disabled Person

6: Specialist Category - Community Development Award (an individual or group working to improve their community).

For the second successive year, the Wirral Volunteer of the Year Award is sponsored by NatWest Bank and, once again, there is a special achievement award donated by CEWTEC.

As well as awards, the category winners will also receive prizes which are being donated by local companies . . . Each of the category winners will receive a pair of tickets to enjoy a film at Apollo 6 Cinema, Wallasey. The overall Wirral Volunteer of the Year will receive a meal for four at the Pastime Restaurant, Birkenhead. Award organisers hope to announce more prizes shortly and express their gratitude to those companies which are supporting the Wirral Volunteer of the Year Award.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.