The two nominees for the Mayor’s Pride of Dudley Award have been announced, with a public vote now open to decide the winner.

'Dudley Friendship Group' and the 'Friends of All Saints Graveyard' will vie for votes to take the prize.

The two groups have been selected personally by the Mayor of Dudley, Councillor Anne Millward, following hundreds of visits made across the borough during her year in office. 

Dudley Friendship Group aims to encourage friendship and combat loneliness in older people. The club, which is run by a group of volunteers, is now in its 13th year.

The group meet twice a month on a Saturday and the volunteers provide a hot meal, entertainment and companionship for around 40 men and women from all over the borough.

The Friends of All Saints Graveyard are a group of local volunteers who regularly work in the cemetery of All Saints Church in Sedgley, clearing vegetation and cleaning the thousands of graves that have been hidden for years.

The site has more than 4,000 headstones, 19 of which are dedicated to soldiers from the two world wars. Councillor Anne Millward, the Mayor of Dudley, said:

"We have two nominees this year and the public vote is now open, so I would urge people to get in touch and vote for their favourite. Whoever wins will be fully deserving of such an award, and I look forward to seeing the result on April 8."

The award will be given out as part of the Mayor’s Ball and Civic Awards, due to be held at The Copthorne Hotel in Brierley Hill on Friday April 8. The public vote is open until Sunday April 3, and people can vote here.