YORKSHIRE AWARDS 2007 WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Published: 26/10/2007

Yorkshire greats from the field of showbiz, sport, the arts and business are honoured in a star-studded Yorkshire Awards presentation ceremony, held at Hilton Leeds City tonight (26/10/07).

The Awards, organised and run by The Yorkshire Awards Committee are now in their 19th anniversary year and involve some of the region´s leading companies and organisations. With the help of the Yorkshire public, the Committee named those outstanding individuals whose examples act as inspiration to anyone with the interests of Yorkshire at heart.

The 2007 Yorkshire Awards winners are:

Richard Whiteley Special Award
Winner: The Velcade Three - Jacky Pickles, Janice Wrigglesworth and Marie Morton
Presenter: Kathryn Apanowicz and Ian James, General Manager - Hilton Leeds City
Award Sponsor: Hilton Leeds City

The Richard Whiteley special award goes Jacky Pickles, Janice Wrigglesworth and Marie Morton, three women from Yorkshire who suffer from multiple myeloma- a type of blood cancer. ??Their continuing fight for access to the life prolonging drug Velcade has been widely reported in the media to the extent that they have now become know as the "Velcade Three".

Yorkshire Unsung Hero Award
Winner: To be announced on the night
Presenter: Kevin Rodgers, Community Involvement Executive, npower
Award Sponsor: npower

There are three nominees for the Yorkshire Unsung Hero Award. Our first nominee is Stacey Rodgers. Since losing her son to carbon monoxide poisoning, Stacey has been raising awareness about the silent killer.

The second nominee is Ann Humberstone who has raised thousands of pounds for Bluebell Woods Children´s Hospice in South Yorkshire.

The third is 82 year-old Louis Arthur who has raised over 100,000 for St Gemma´s Hospice in Leeds.

Yorkshire Business Enterprise Award.
Winner: Cranswick plc
Presented to: Martin Davey, chairman of Cranswick plc
by Richard Taylor, head of client management, Aon
Award Sponsor: Aon Limited

It was formed by farmers in the 1970´s to provide pig feed. Now Cranswick plc is a 350 million pound business providing top quality food. They have created many jobs in our region and have around 5000 members of staff. Some of their many products include Dutchy Sausages and they have been recently highlighted in the BBC´s good food guide for Sainsbury´s Taste The Difference Pork & Caramelised Red Onion Sausages.

Yorkshire Arts and Entertainment Personality Award
Winner: G P Taylor
Presenter: Helen Thomas, head of region, BBC
Sponsor: BBC

He´s the Scarborough vicar-turned-author who sold his motorbike to publish his first book. Now G.P Taylor is an international bestseller. When publishers Faber snapped up the novel, it spent 15 weeks at the top of the British book charts, making G. P Taylor a millionaire and much sought-after literary talent. The father of three´s career has spanned many areas including rock music, social work, and ten years on the police force. He spends three months a year going to schools, inspiring pupils to read more books. He continues to write and his book Shadowmancer is due to be turned into a film.

Yorkshire Sporting Achievement Award
Winners: Adil Rashid
Presenter: Peter Charlton, Editor, Yorkshire Post.
Award Sponsor: Yorkshire Post

He may be 19 years old but Adil Rashid has left no one with any doubts about his ability on the cricket pitch. Having proved himself as a genuine all rounder for England under 19´s. The Bradford-born cricketer made his debut for Yorkshire with a bang in July 2006, helping his side secure a big championship win over Warwickshire. He was named as the PCA young player of the year in 2007; He´s been called up for the England Performance Programme next week, and is deservedly the Yorkshire Award winner for the category of sport.

Yorkshire Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner: Paul Sykes
Presenter: Keith Madeley, chairman of The Yorkshire Society
Sponsor: The Yorkshire Society

He´s one of the riches men in the country with a personal fortune of around 500 million pounds. He started out breaking up buses and flogging the parts in the India and the Far East. But one of the greatest achievements Paul Sykes will be remembered for will be his role in developing a little Shopping centre near Sheffield. It is of course Meadow Hall. After his dealing in property included covering over the Victoria Quarter in Leeds, he turned his attention to politics. After falling out with the Conservative party over Europe, he began to fund the UK independence party. After several years he says he´s put it all behind him to concentrate on what he loves. The countryside. He´s now embarking on planting half a million trees in his back garden, to promote green issues.

Yorkshire Awards Woman of the Year
Winner: Dianne Thompson, chief executive of Camelot
Presenter: Kevin Newson, senior partner, Yorkshire Bank
Award Sponsor: Yorkshire Bank

This Yorkshire woman is at the top of her game. She´s the chief executive of Camelot the national lottery operator. Not bad for a grammar school girl from Dewsbury. Dianne Thompson was a lecturer at Manchester Poly before realising her love of business. Over the last thirty years she´s worked at several high profile companies, and is even a non-executive director of Domino´s Pizza. Dianne joined Camelot in 1997, and has recently won the franchise to run the national lottery until 2019 one of her proudest achievement´s.

Yorkshire Awards Man of the Year
Winner: The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu
Presenter: Paul Theakston, managing director, Black Sheep
Award Sponsor: Black Sheep Brewery

He´s the 97th Archbishop of York. He´s slept in a tent for a week in York Minster to promote peace in the Middle East, and he´s a self confessed York City Supporter. Dr John Sentamu was born in Uganda; he graduated in law and practised at the Bar and at the Bench before he came to the UK in 1974. Dr Sentamu was Adviser to the Stephen Lawrence Judicial Inquiry and he chaired the Damilola Taylor Murder Review. He was the Bishop of Birmingham before being inaugurated at York Minister in November 2005. His interests include music, cooking, reading, athletics, rugby and football.
Special Award
Winner: Jane Tomlinson
A special award, presented by Sir Rodney Walker, chairman of the Yorkshire Awards Committee, will be given to Mike Tomlinson in honour of Jane and her achievements.