People only have just over a week to nominate unsung heroes in the borough for a Civic Award.

Nominations are particularly being sought in the arts category. People who have contributed to raising the profile of the arts in the borough – be it art, amateur dramatics, music or comedy – can be put forward. The nominee could be the star of the show or work diligently behind the scenes, helping to make things happen.

The awards are presented by the Mayor of Dudley, Councillor Sue Greenaway, at her annual charity ball in April which raises thousands of pounds for worthy causes.

The public have until Sunday February 26 to nominate the individuals and groups who go above and beyond in their communities for the awards, which are this year in association with Halesowen College.

The winners and runners-up will be announced at The Mayor’s Ball and Civic Awards, which will take place on Friday 31 March at the Copthorne Hotel in Brierley Hill. The event this year has a Las Vegas theme, with tickets now on sale at £40.  

The annual ball raises thousands of pounds for the Mayor’s chosen charities each year and award winners will have the chance to celebrate their achievements with distinguished guests.

Local businesses have backed the awards, which are all named after heroes of the borough. They are:

• The Duncan Edwards award for sport
• The Cedric Hardwicke award for arts
• The Frank Foley award for community spirit
• The Thomas Attwood award for education
• The Mike Holder award for business
• The William Shenstone award for environment

The awards are all sponsored by local businesses including Jewson and MKBK. Councillor Sue Greenaway, the Mayor of Dudley, said:

"The Civic Awards are an ideal opportunity to reward people who have gone above and beyond helping others within our community.

"It only takes a few minutes to nominate someone, and it’s worth it to see these dedicated people getting the recognition they deserve with one of our civic awards."

You can nominate someone online at mayorofdudley.org.uk/civicawards.