A GLITTERING awards ceremony last night saw heroes from across Glasgow's East End recognised for the amazing work they do for their communities.

Outstanding individuals and dedicated teams were celebrated at The Bridge leisure complex in Easterhouse.

Glasgow's Lord Provost and the city's most senior police and fire officers joined the chairman of the Community Planning Partnership and the Editor of the Evening Times to honour the heroes of Baillieston, Shettleston and Greater Easterhouse.

The Individual Award was presented to Con Allison who has worked tirelessly for 30 years to help needy families.

THE WINNERS Glasgow Community Champion Awards for Baillieston, Shettleston and Greater Easterhouse: Individual Award Winner: Con Allison. Finalists: Sharon Smith. Marjory Maxwell. Team Award Winner: The Gladiator Programme. Finalists: Family Action in Rogerfield and Easterhouse. Greater Easterhouse Supporting Hands. Neighbour Award Winner: Sammy Cox. Finalists: Eddie and Grace Andrews. Bert Ingram. Marion Renau. Public Service Individual Award Winner: Constable Kenneth Sewell. Finalists: Russell Robertson. Maureen Morris. Public Service Team Award Winner: Smoke Free Homes and Zones. Finalists: Family Action in Rogerfield and Easterhouse (FARE). Oral Health Action Team. The Communities Unit, Strathclyde Police. Young Community Award Winners: Lochend Community High School. Finalists: Andrew Dearie. Joseph Mearns. Patrick Molloy. Youth Management Committee - FUSE.

Con's dedication has seen him help countless families in desperate need find furniture and household goods.

Lord Provost Bob Winter, who presented the award, said: "Con is discreet, kind and approachable. The whole community know they can trust him and call on him for help."

Con said: "Winning the award is a great shock. I didn't expect it. Day in, day out we've been out there for people who've needed us. It's great to be recognised."

Strathclyde Police Chief Constable Steve House presented the Team Award to The Gladiator Programme, which is hugely successful in encouraging kids into sport.

Project founder Alex Richardson said: "We've won awards in the past, but this is special because it's our local community that we've served who have nominated us."

Community activist Sammy Cox won the Neighbour Award. He was praised by Councillor Jim Coleman, chairman of Glasgow Community Planning Partnership, who presented the award.

Sammy is a founder and chairman of the Community Planning Group for Garthamlock. He has run a school football league for almost 25 years, and challenged sectarianism and gangs.

Councillor Coleman said Sammy had "instilled discipline and respect in three generations of boys".

The Public Service Individual Award went to community police officer Constable Kenny Sewell.

A cop with 31 years' experience, PC Sewell has served Barlanark for 11 years, forging strong community relationships and regularly volunteering on his days off to work on several community projects.

Presenting Kenny with his award, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Chief Officer Brian Sweeney said: "This award is for an individual who has gone the extra mile."

Kenny said: "I'm over-whelmed to win the award."

The Smoke Free Homes and Zones project won the Public Service Team Award.

The team from Shettleston's Eastbank Health Promotion Centre have convinced 564 families to pledge to restrict smoking in their homes. Their work means 1001 children now live in a healthier environment.

Presenting the award Mr House said: "Their success rate is testament to their skills and hard work."

Co-ordinator Kirsty Cornwall said: "It's really positive that second-hand smoke is now being treated as a serious issue."

Lochend Community High School won the Young Community Award.

Ten fifth-year pupils helped at Provanhall Primary School's autism unit, raising £800 as part of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

Mr Sweeney presented representatives of the school with their award.

Former pupil Ashleigh MacKay, 17, said: "I think we won because we showed not all young people are neds.

"We do as much for our community as everybody else."

Lord Provost Bob Winter said the was event "inspiring", adding: "So much great work is being done by so many people and organisations, it's immensely heart warming."

Evening Times Editor Donald Martin said: "We are delighted to acknowledge the efforts of those whose hard work often goes unrecognised in local communities."

Lord Provost Bob Winter presented the award to the individual winner, a stunned Con Allison	Delighted winners Jack Ragton, Alec Richardson, Andrew Gilbert and Harry Cooper represented the Gladiator Programme as it won the Team Award for its work with kids	Pupils Nicole Kelly, Scott Garden, Adam Rooney, Emma Hutchison and Ashleigh Mackay showed there are youngsters who help their communities just as much as older generations Pictures: Marc Turner	The Public Services Team Award was picked up by Kirsty Cornwall from Chief Constable Steve House	Neighbours don't come better than Sammy Cox who was honoured for his school football leagues

East End's shining lights

By Maureen Ellis

Around 200 people packed into the auditorium of The Bridge in Easterhouse to honour the local heroes who are dedicated beacons of community spirit.

The first of 10 Glasgow Community Champion Awards nights was welcomed warmly by the nominees and their guests.

Representatives from the realms of public service and local voluntary projects filled the cafe with lively chatter ahead of the ceremony.

From a packed postbag and inbox of entry forms, the nominees had been whittled down to a shortlist of 22. And, as those all-important envelopes were opened, the six winners became the toast of The Bridge.

It was a mixture of delight and sadness for the pupils of Lochend Community High who dedicated their award to late classmate Sean Devlin who died during the summer, shortly after the team completed the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

Nicole Kelly, 17, who is now studying biosciences at the University of the West of Scotland, said: "He put in as much work as the rest of us. We'd like his work to be remembered, too."

The eight pupils volunteered one day every week to help autistic youngsters, in addition to fundraising activities.

Sixth-year student Adam Rooney, 17, said: "I didn't think we would win because there were a lot of good people up there with us.

"This year we're planning to do the Silver award to build on the Bronze award we have."

Lochend pipped young St Andrew's Secondary pupil Joseph Mearns to the Young Community Champion Award, but Joseph's mum Annemarie McCabe was still full of praise for local community spirit.

The pupil support assistant at Ruchill Primary said: "It's a brilliant turn-out - it shows you people care. There's a lot of hope out there and a lot of people working hard to change things."

At the higher end of the age spectrum, Bert Ingram, 88, was singled out for praise in the Neighbour Award for his tireless campaigning for tenants' rights.

Councillor Jim Coleman lauded the Ballieston OAP's tenacity by saying: "I know that for a fact, because he's never off the phone."

Youth worker Sharon Smith - who was nominated in the Individual Award category - brought along daughters Keera, six, and Cheryl, 22 for support.

The 39-year-old from Provanhall said: "This has given me a lift to do more for the community and young people. A lot of them think they're not worth dealing with, but they are.

"I feel very honoured just to have been nominated. I've been doing it for so many years."

Visitors browsed stalls set up by representatives of the awards partners, Strathclyde Police, Strathclyde Fire & Rescue, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Community Planning Partnership and the Evening Times.

Community news editor Helen Smith demonstrated our community websites, which already had a fan in Margaret Layden, project manager of East End play initiative Playbusters.

She said: "I use the Evening Times community website a lot and it's really good to find out what's going on. People do tremendous work in the area - there's an awful lot of hours from people's own time that go to benefit the community."

The ceremony was brought to a close with a moving rendition of Hero, the forthcoming debut single of Sandyhills band Raintown.

The lyrics "When times get tough you know a hero stands tall" had extra resonance for Maureen Morris, a neighbourhood hero who has overcome health issues to volunteer in the community for over 30 years.

The Wellhouse resident said: "Community spirit is getting stronger and stronger - the more people are giving, the more they're getting from it."

The next awards ceremony will be held at Drumchapel Community Centre on December 2. We are looking for nominations from Pollokshields, the Gorbals and Southside Central next month.

Kenneth Sewell said he was overwhelmed to win for going the extra mile' to help the community

Oral Heath Action - finalists in the Public Service Team category - celebrate their achievement at the East End Community Champions Awards ceremony at The Bridge in Easterhouse

Nominees and guests mingle around the stalls showcasing the event's partners Pictures: Marc Turner

Helen Smith shows the Evening Times community websites

St Andrew's pupil Joseph Mearns, 14 - a Young Community Champion Award nominee - and mum Annemarie McCabe

Lord Provost Bob Winter paid tribute to the winners