Covid ‘heroes’ in Portsmouth to be honoured by civic awards

The city council is calling on residents to nominate local Good Samaritans as part of its newly devised coronavirus civic awards that will see up to 10 individuals, organisations or businesses awarded medals.

And all nominees will be thanked with a letter and certificate from Portsmouth's lord mayor to mark how ‘everyone came together brilliantly’.

The awards will run in place of the usual yearly civic awards held during Portsmouth City Council's annual general meeting, which will take place - probably virtually - in February.

Councillor Matt Winnington, the council's health and wellbeing boss, said the people of Portsmouth had 'done themselves proud.'

Speaking at a cabinet meeting where plans for the awards were approved he said: 'There have been people volunteering who have never volunteered before. The community really came together in the city. Other councils in the country have wondered how we do it. It's obvious - it's the people of Portsmouth.

'The people of Portsmouth are unique and have a very real sense of community.'

Under the criteria for the awards nominees must have a 'close link' to Portsmouth such as living or working there.

And they must have either supported vulnerable people or those with coronavirus, provided critical care to Covid patients, developed innovations to support the vulnerable and those withCovid, or 'gone to extraordinary lengths' to keep critical services going.

Deputy council leader, Cllr Steve Pitt, believed the awards were important especially in the wake of the third lockdown announcement. 'There could be some hidden heroes we don't know about,' he said.

'It's important we thank all the people who may or may not have been nominated. Everyone's pulled together absolutely brilliantly through this pandemic and we have still got a way to go.'

Cllr Lee Hunt added: 'It was a tremendous effort. We may well have to go through it all again, we may have to revisit this again next year.'

A youth coronavirus award will also be given to a nominee aged 19 or younger.

Final details including how to nominate have yet to be announced.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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