Pride of Britain Awards 2012

This year saw 13th Pride of Britain award ceremony take place. Founded in 1999 truly remarkable people are recognised for bravely and going above and beyond. Every year 7 million viewers tune in to watch host Carol Vorderman tell the tales of these truly worthy award winners. Gaudio are extremely proud to have once again manufactured these magnificent and iconic awards. Below are stories of those who were recognised at the ceremony.

Child of Courage: Ramona Gibbs
Heroine Ramona Gibbs did not think twice when she saw an out-of-control car hurtling towards her little sister Trixie, with just seconds to spare, she pushed her out of the way and took the full brunt of the impact herself, causing devastating injuries. Her heroics only became clear in hospital when Trixie – who escaped with only a scratch – complained: “Mum, Ramona pushed me.” After being crushed by the car she spent 16 days in hospital and endured five operations. Doctors treated her for liver and lung damage, a broken leg and rib, bruised pelvis and internal bleeding. But despite the pain she has suffered, Ramona, of Bristol, says it is all worth it. “I really like her. She’s my best sister ever,” she grinned.

Lidl Young Fundraiser of the Year: Jack Henderson
Jack has raised almost £30,000 for the hospital which looked after his little brother Noah. When he was just six he came up with the unique fund-raising idea of drawing pictures in return for a donation to the Sick Kids Hospital in Edinburgh, which was treating three year-old Noah for bronchiolitis. After selling his first picture for 20p, the seven-year-old has become an internet sensation, secured a book deal, and designed charity T-shirts – all for the cause.

Teenager of Courage: Alice Pyne
Brave teenager Alice inspired the nation when she created her ‘bucket list’ of things to do before she died. Faced with a terminal cancer diagnosis, brave teen Alice Pyne could have given up, but instead she drew up a bucket list of everything she would like to do before she died – and at the top of the list was getting people to sign up to the bone marrow donor register. The teenager has so far raised £100,000 for charity and has got 40,000 people signed up to the register – and wants more.

Teenager of Courage: Jack Carrol
lInspirational Jack Carroll laughs in the face of his cerebral palsy and hopes to become a professional comedian one day. So the courageous 14-year-old was blown away on Monday night when he received his Teenager of Courage award from fellow funny man Alan Carr.The schoolboy from Yorkshire needs a wheelchair to get around because of his chronic condition causes problems with movement and posture, but when he was 11 he decided not to shy away from it and pursue a career in comedy. The star-studded audience watched in awe as they heard how Jack became a YouTube sensation after bravely performing his first gig at his parents’ wedding anniversary.

Prince’s Trust Young Achiever: Jay Kamiraz
When Jay was viciously beaten by a gang of seven, he could have easily given up on life. The unprovoked attack left him critically injured and hospitalised for a month and Jay struggled with the after effects. Fearful he would be attacked again he left his family home in East London to live on the streets. But incredibly Jay managed to turn his life around and helped other people in his local community through his inspirational Sing to Smile project all thanks to the Prince’s Trust.

Outstanding Bravery: Royston Smith and Alistair Neill
Royston, 48, and Alistair, 55, were visiting the docked HMS Astute in Southampton in April 2011. They were being shown around the control room when Ryan Donovan starting firing at shipmates with his SA80 rifle. Hearing shots, Lt Cmdr Ian Molyneux, 36, went to confront the sailor and was shot dead. Southampton City Council Leader Royston and Chief Executive Alistair were among six dignitaries visiting the navy’s flagship sub and thought a terrorist attack was under way. The pair launched themselves at the gunman and managed to disarm him.

Outstanding Bravery: Corporal Carl Taylor
Carl put his life on the line twice by running across open ground in a hail of bullets to save the lives of three children in Afghanistan during an intense firefight with Taliban insurgents. Carl, who serves with the 3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, was a section commander in Helmand Province in March 2011 when his patrol came under attack. The soldiers took cover in a compound where they found two women terrified for the safety of three boys caught behind a small wall 80ft away.

Special Recognition: Katie Piper
Katie Piper has already inspired millions with her bravery since going public with the story of how she was scarred for life in a vicious acid attack. But Monday night a host of celebrities were reduced to tears as they heard how the inspirational 29-year-old has battled back from the brink of death to become a beacon of hope for other burn victims. Katie’s face was completely reconstructed after the 2008 attack orchestrated by her ex-boyfriend who had raped her.

Special Recognition: Jane and Michael Gates
Grieving parents Jane and Michael embarked on a crusade to help other families by fulfilling their son Sebastian’s dying wish. Sebastian was just seven when he was diagnosed with a Wilm’s tumour – a rare form of ­childhood cancer – in 2001 and his parents decided to start their charity, Sebastian’s Action Trust. Then, 12 days before he died in 2003, Sebastian told Jane and Michael of his dream of a holiday home for ­families of very ill children to spend precious time together.

Special Recognition: Natalia Aggiano
Natalia Aggiano’s tribute to her murdered mum’s memory began with her donating a kidney to a stranger – and continued this week with her Pride of Britain special recognition award. Security worker Natalia made the selfless gesture in honour of her mum Elva who was stabbed to death by her schizophrenic father Bruno in 1997. Elva was a firm believer in organ donation – even getting Natalia her first donor card.

Special Recognition: Team GB and Paralympics GB
For one glorious summer they put the Great back into Britain. And last night the athletes of Team GB and Paralympics GB received a standing ovation from the biggest stars in the land after they were presented with a Special Recognition Award by Prince Charles. It was a truly Royal salute for the teams that brought 63 gold, 60 Silver and 62 Bronze medals home from London 2012. From diver Tom Daley to inspirational swimmer Ellie Simmonds, the room packed with the great and good rose as one to salute their heroes.

Teacher of the Year: Alan Watkinson
Alan Watkinson is the man behind the Mo. Without the inspirational 48-year-old PE teacher, from Twickenham, the magic of Mo Farah may never have graced this summer’s Olympics. Alan, a stalwart at Feltham Community School in West London, was crowned Teacher of the Year this week after guiding Mo and thousands of others during his career.

ITV Local Heroes: Ann and Terry Panks
A couple who gave shelter to more than 1,000 homeless men were honoured as Local Heroes at Monday night’s ceremony. Ann, 74, and Terry Panks, 76, from Wythenshawe, Manchester, opened their home to hundreds of young men, some who had been drawn into gang crime, others made wrong choices, but they all faced life alone. But Ann and Terry, gave a haven to help them get their lives back on track.

Daybreak Emergency Services: Hartlepool RNLI and Coastguard
The unsung heroes at Hartlepool RNLI and Hartlepool Coastguard who saved teenager Neil Robson from drowning were told by the boy whose life they saved: “I’m very grateful for what they did for me under terrifying circumstances.” Neil, 17, was trapped on Seaton Carew beach after helping his little brother out of the sand last October. The Harlepool RNLI crew arrived in their lifeboat and despite the risk of being trapped in the sand themselves, five crew members entered the water to free Neil. The team included plumber Liam Dunnett and engineering lecturer Mark Barker, BT engineer Darren Killick, offshore crane operator Rob Archer and quantity surveyor Matty Adams who dug sand away from Neil’s legs.

Fundraisers of the Year: Flo and Jim Essex
They’ve spent 20 years lying on beds of nails, jumping through burning hoops and abseiling down the side of hospitals. And they put most others to shame because they’re both in their 80s. This week Flo and Jim Essex were dancing on air as the stars of Strictly Come Dancing and Dawn French presented them with the Pride of Britain Fundraisers of the Year Award. The amazing couple, Flo, 82, and Jim, 86, from Yeovil, have raised more than £160,000 for charity and show no signs of slowing down.

Lifetime Achievement: Doreen Lawrence
Doreen Lawrence finally won her 19-year battle for justice for murdered son Stephen this year. But Doreen, 60, not only won justice for Stephen, she has also campaigned tirelessly to make the legal system fairer for everyone. And the charitable foundation she set up in Stephen’s memory is providing a lasting legacy by changing thousands of young lives. Stephen was 18 when he was stabbed to death by a racist gang in 1993, and when murder charges against the suspects were dropped, Doreen resolved to hold the men who killed her son to account. She became a powerful campaigner, forcing a public inquiry into the way police dealt with Stephen’s murder.

Its findings made the Metropolitan Police institute major changes to all murder investigations. Doreen launched the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust in 1998 to promote equal opportunities for young people. Meanwhile, in 2000 Doreen won an amendment to the Race Relations Act, meaning authorities must reveal what measures they are taking to treat all people fairly. Then, thanks to her campaigning, the Criminal Justice Act 2003 scrapped double jeopardy – the legal principle preventing someone being tried twice for the same crime.

In 2008 she opened the Stephen Lawrence Centre in Lewisham which offers free courses in IT, creative arts and multimedia.

Find out more about this amazing event: http://www.prideofbritain.com