THEY'RE the people who make the South-East shine - and we want to hear about your neighbourhood heroes in the latest stage of the Glasgow Community Champion Awards.

THEY'RE the people who make the South-East shine - and we want to hear about your neighbourhood heroes in the latest stage of the Glasgow Community Champion Awards.

Today we meet three more champs from the Langside and Linn area - all committed to making their neighbourhood champion.

There's the nurse who has been a friend to senior citizens for over 30 years, a youth facility with humble origins, and a group of history enthusiasts who have clubbed together to celebrate their area's heritage.

Without them the city would be a poorer place.

The Glasgow Community Champion Awards is aiming to unearth more unsung heroes like these and give them the recognition they deserve.

Fill in a form today to tell us about the stand-out stars living and working around Langside, Battlefield, Kings Park, Camphill, Mount Florida, Cathcart, Simshill, Croftfoot, Castlemilk and Carmunnock.

There's only a few days left to nominate your heroes in one of six categories before the deadline on Thursday, June 11. You can download a form from our website, or enter their details on our website, www.eveningtimes.co.uk

What's more, everyone is invited along to the eighth gala ceremony in the campaign. It will take place at Langside Hall on Langside Avenue on Tuesday, June 23 from 6pm onwards. It's also a chance to meet the awards partners over tea and sandwiches and find out plans for the area.

Langside councillor Archie Graham said: "I think there will be a tremendous amount of excitement. I would expect people to be talking to each other about the different projects and programmes."

The Glasgow Community Champion Awards are a partnership between Glasgow City Council, Strathclyde Police, Strathclyde Fire & Rescue, Glasgow Community Planning Partnership and the Evening Times.

All 60 city-wide winners from the ten city areas will be invited to a gala final held at the City Chambers in October, where the overall Community Champions will be crowned.

In sickness and in health

By James EllingworthONE dedicated nurse at the Victoria Infirmary has been making a difference to people's lives for over three decades.

Cath Christie, 50, who has lived in the south side all her life, is a dedicated staff nurse who has built up strong relationships with the patients in her care over a career spanning 31 years.

Described as an "excellent nurse and a very kind and caring person" by her colleagues, Cath specialises in dermatology.

Since the skin conditions she treats, such as severe eczema, can mean many patients return repeatedly over several years, building bridges is key.

Cath is modest about being nominated for a Community Champion award, saying that she's "sure there are plenty of other people who are just as deserving", but admits it's a "pleasant surprise".

Cath says the experience she's built up over the years has made her a better nurse.

"I've learned how to be patient with people. You have to treat people with privacy and dignity, bearing in mind religious and cultural beliefs - that should be respected. I use all the knolwedge and experience I have to provide an efficient and effective service."

In recent years, Cath has taken the opportunity to boost her skills by taking a year-long course in minor surgery at Caledonian University, which means she is now able to treat more people and assist surgeons in their work.

Cath has worked in the Victoria Infirmary her whole career. However, she is still looking forward to moving into the New Victoria, which opens today.

The switch will allow her to do even more to help the community, giving her the best possible surroundings to do her job.

She says: "I do one session of minor surgery a week at the moment, but I hope to expand that when we move, because we'll have better facilities."

JEELY PIECE CLUB

Mary Miller co-founded the club in 1975 TO borrow a slice from Adam McNaughton's much-loved skyscraper ode, all the weans in Castlemilk have found a "Piece brigade" in the staff of one lively family centre. The Jeely Piece Club was formed in 1975 as a mother and toddler group, but has grown to encompass a nursery, out-of-school clubs, a cafe, as well as providing learning and training opportunities for parents and adults. Its recently-appointed - and only second - director Tracey Black took over from co-founder and 2008 International Scotswoman of the year Mary Miller, who now works in Zimbabwe with husband Very Rev Dr John Miller, a former Moderator of the Church of Scotland. Tracey said: "If you speak to people across Glasgow, everybody knows about the Jeely Piece Club. It has touched so many people's lives. "It's a fantastic building because everything is based around fun for the kids - the art room, games sessions, everything like that." The Club now occupies two buildings - it has a wing in the Castlemilk Community Centre for its nursery, and its HQ is the purpose-built Playzone within The Tower complex. It had risked closure in 2001 when the four-storey tenement where it had been housed since 1982 was earmarked for demolition. The group secured £300,000 through a mix of Lottery and council funding to develop the council-owned Tower complex in Machrie Drive. Between 400 and 500 young people attend the Playzone building every week, while its seven-week summer programme attracts around 5000 kids, in a centre operated by 50 staff. A mini bus transports children to and from the centre, which has just secured £10,000 from Children in Need to set up a holiday camp, taking 40 kids aged 8-12 away on a residential summer break. "That for us is vital because some of these local kids have never been out of Castlemilk," said Tracey.

LANGSIDE, BATTLEFIELD AND CAMPHILL COMMUNITY COUNCIL

JUST one neighbourhood meeting every month is generating change in the Langside area of the city.

The members of the Langside, Battlefield and Camphill Community Council have had an influence on local planning, social and environmental policy since its early origins in 2002.

The group of residents take a particularly active interest in historical issues. In 2006 they launched a Langside Heritage Trail around the site of the Battle of Langside, buildings by Alexander 'Greek' Thomson and Stan Laurel's Queen's Park School, which he and Oliver Hardy visited in 1947. The 40-page booklet is still available from Langside library.

In 2007 they successfully blocked advertising hoardings at the roundabout of the Battlefield Memorial, and in February saw off later opening hours and nightclub use at the Church On The Hill bar, housed in a Greek Thomson landmark. Just this week they received confirmation that a pedestrian crossing would be created to ease crossing between Langside library and the Victorian Infirmary after months of lobbying.

Dr Evelyn Silber, a former director of the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, is chair of the community council, which meets at 81 Carmichael Place in Battlefield on the first Monday of each month.

She is also chair of a committee incorporating four local community councils to lay the foundations to create a new performance space in Queen's Park. The committee have secured £15,000 from the Scottish Government to canvas local opinion, provide designs and costings for a new arena, and begin grant applications. More than 700 people responded to their questionnaire on the subject at last month's South Side Festival.

Dr Silber said: "We probably have a little bit more influence than we give ourselves credit for.

"We are quite active in the community but we would welcome more involvement. The public are welcome to attend to voice particular issues that they've got or just to find out what is going on."

• www.lbccc.org.uk

THERE are six categories:INDIVIDUAL AWARDPeople who give up free time to make a contribution to other people's lives or to a community.

TEAM AWARD

This recognises the work of community teams, organisations, charities or a group of volunteers.

PUBLIC SERVICE INDIVIDUAL AWARD

This will be presented to people working for a public service in a local community who have gone above and beyond the call of duty.

PUBLIC SERVICES TEAM AWARD

This is for a remarkable public service team that has made an outstanding contribution to help those they serve.

NEIGHBOUR AWARD

We're looking to recognise those unsung heroes who make a big contribution with no expectation of reward.

YOUNG COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS

People or groups aged 17 and younger who have shown inspirational behaviour.

HOW TO ENTER

TO download a Glasgow Community Champion Awards entry form, go to www.eveningtimes.co.uk and follow the link to Community Champions. Or call or e-mail Gayle Cooper on 0141 302 7319, or gayle.cooper@heraldandtimes.co.uk, and request a form.

You can also write to: Glasgow Community Champions Awards, Evening Times, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow, G2 3QB.