A CARE trust is once again honouring its ‘healthcare heroes’.

Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust is staging its 16th annual You’re a Star Awards.

For the first time, members of the public as well as staff were invited to submit nominations – and a record 75 were received.

The awards celebrate outstanding care provided by teams and individuals in Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven, plus Wakefield.

Accolades will be handed out across six categories – service user, carer and volunteer contributions; improvements and innovation; team of the year; working together; non-clinical star/s and unsung hero – in a glittering ceremony at the Mercure Bradford Bankfield Hotel, Bingley, in July.

The event’s main supporter, Bradford-based Sovereign Healthcare, will provide £750 to each category winner to support their work.

“Nominees range from volunteers who have given their time freely – often after receiving outstanding care from the trust – to nurses and healthcare workers who have come-up with innovative ideas to help patients with their recovery,” said a spokesman.

Among the nominees – in the service user, carer and volunteer contributions category – is community health champion and walk leader, Bryan Walkden. Last year, he led 175 walks.

Little Minds Matter: Bradford’s Infant Mental Health Service, which offers relationship support to parents and carers during pregnancy and after birth, has been put forward in the working together section.

Nominees in the improvements and innovation category include the community dental service, for an anxiety management film it produced to support children attending hospital for dental extraction.

Belinda Marks, who leads the palliative care team, has been nominated for the unsung hero honour.

Contenders for the team of the year title include the individual placement and support employment service, which supports people with mental health conditions to find work. Since its inception in 2015, it has helped more than 250 people. And the trust’s executive support team has been nominated in the non-clinical star/s category.