THERE is just under a week to go until nominations close for the 2017 Community Stars Awards.

The deadline to put forward an unsung hero for the honours, which are organised annually by the Telegraph & Argus and Bradford Council, is Monday, September 25.

Dozens of applications have already been submitted, but there is still time to nominate a deserving person.

One of the latest nominations is Idle Memory Club, which has been put forward in the community group category.

The club provides a range of stimulating activities, peer support and a hot cooked lunch for people living with dementia and their carers.

Sessions are held twice a month at Idle Baptist Church and are run by The Memory Tree, a small not-for-profit organisation.

They were nominated by Daren Parr, a Bradford East ward officer at Bradford Council, who said: “The group of volunteers help others who are going through difficult times in living with dementia.

“The team of volunteers are compassionate, helpful and sympathetic. They are able to reduce isolation by offering a range of fun activities and support to both carers and people diagnosed with dementia.

“To sustain the provision they work tirelessly to help raise funds for the group.

“They have gained the trust and friendship of others and made the sessions sustainable without the need for professional support from public services.”

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He added that the club cannot run without help from volunteers, of which there is a dedicated team of 11 people at Idle.

Winners of the Community Stars Awards for 2017 will be announced at a ceremony at the Midland Hotel on Wednesday, December 6, where each category winner will be honoured with the Bradford Medal.

The awards are part of the People Can Make a Difference campaign and are sponsored by Better Start Bradford, which runs schemes in parts of the city to give babies and children a better start in life.

Nominations are being sought in the following categories: Community Group, Fundraiser, Young Active Citizens, Good Neighbour, Volunteer, Community Champion, Business Can Make a Difference Award, and the sponsored award Better Start Bradford Outstanding Contribution to Volunteering.