Oh, what a night!
The fifth YorkMix Hero Awards gathered together the great and the good of the city, along with some very special people with extraordinary tales to tell.
More than 200 people came to a beautifully decked out Voltigeur Suite at York Racecourse for the event. And 12 left with a hero award.
The YorkMix Hero Awards 2025 are kindly supported by Yorkshire Profiles – providers of quality assured metal fabrication at the heart of North Yorkshire.
David Green, MD of YorkMix, said: “We’ve met some simply incredible people tonight.
“Their stories were uplifting, their examples inspirational.
“Our heroes are confirmation that our part of the world is filled with stories of real courage, selflessness and positivity. It was our privilege to highlight and honour their contributions.”
In the presence of VIPs including the Lord Mayor Cllr Martin Rowley, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith, and councillors from all the main parties, 12 honours were given out to York and North Yorkshire heroes, in categories including The Incredible Child Award and Charity Fundraiser of the Year.
And everyone at the ceremony was able to vote for one finalist to be crowned the Ultimate Hero at the end of the night.
Guests were greeted by two five-year-old alpacas when they arrived at the racecourse, along with a free glass of bubbly.
The evening was introduced by David Green and hosted by YorkMix Radio’s own Laura Castle and Ben Fry.
Singer songwriter and curator of the Ignite Concerts in York, Alistair Griffin, got the whole room singing along with a fabulous music set.
An energetic game of Heads and Tails followed, with our winner receiving tickets to York Races.
And the raffle raised more than £2,000 for those amazing volunteers at York Rescue Boat. This included £200 when master of ceremonies David Green’s orange jacket was auctioned to the highest bidder!
Thanks to all our sponsors, without whom this amazing evening could never have happened.
So who are our heroes? Get ready to meet them all…
The Best Boss Award
Winner: Beth Welsh, Affinity Care Solutions
After working for a boss who left her feeling undervalued, Beth decided to commit to opening her own home care company to help her local community.
Her ethos is “There’s no place like home”, truly believing care at home surrounded by memories and belongings is the best place to be and by creating a culture where her staff to feel the same.
Beth is highly dedicated to her team, her clients and their loved ones – going above and beyond to help them, sacrificing her own time to support those who need her.
Finalists: Emma Brownbridge; David Lister
Sponsor: Potions Cauldron Group
Charity Fundraiser of the Year
Winner: Cynthia Ford
“I’m a friend of Cyn’s. She lives in Norton near Malton and that’s where she runs the bingo! This year some of the charities she has fundraised for area guide and ranger camp, a cricket club, a secondary school to help run their prom and the Marie Curie charity.
“She constantly tells us it’s a team effort because me and a couple of others help on the night every week. But she does all the behind the scenes bits, organising prizes, the shopping if she needs to add prizes etc!
“She raised £36,000 last year and since she started 22 years ago she’s raised about half a million pounds.” – Tara England
Finalists: David Brown, Jean Prior
Sponsor: Ate O’Clock Restaurant
The Educator of the Year
Winner: Andy Bowen
“Andy is a job coach at United Response and he’s been supporting me on a one-to-one basis.
“I’m autistic and also struggle a lot with my confidence and anxiety due to a lot of bad experiences I’ve endured.
“Andy has helped boost my confidence by being really encouraging and showing me I can accomplish things when the right support is there.
“I wouldn’t be doing any of the things I’m doing now if it wasn’t for him. He’s helped me find the confidence to write, record and release my own songs, helped me get paid gigs and helped me gain that self belief that was lacking before.
“He’s amazing at what he does and I think he deserves the award.” – Andy’s nominator
Finalists: Lisa Harrison, Sam Smith
Sponsor: Total Foodservice
The Environmental Hero Award
Winner: Dan Sidley
Dan has dedicated each day of his adult life to the rescue and treatment of injured animals in need, across North Yorkshire and the wider region. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, Dan founded Yorkshire Swan & Wildlife Rescue Centre in 2005 at just 18 years of age.
Sadly, wild animals require rescue due to ever-increasing man-made carelessness and ignorance, which adversely impacts these creatures and their natural environment.
Animals arrive for treatment on a daily basis injured by speeding vehicles, overhead electricity cables, entangled in discarded litter and fishing tackle, coated in oil contamination, snared, poisoned and – most tragically – the targets of deliberate cruelty including maiming by air rifles and crossbows.
Dan’s charity responds to more than 6,000 calls for help each year, providing a rescue service and veterinary treatment in purpose-built facilities. Each animal is returned to the wild after treatment.
Finalists: Helen Smith, Constantin Ene
Sponsor: YorWaste
The Incredible Child Award
Winner: Megan Dodds
Megan is 15 and has been raising money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance for the last three years in memory of her late Uncle.
Megan’s uncle was 36 years old when he had a massive heart attack and need the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
Megan has raised more than £1,450 so far for the charity by hosting coffee mornings. Megan is hoping to get over the £2,000 mark soon.
Megan goes over and above to support this very worthy charity and loves doing what she can to support the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
Finalists: Charley Wilson Jennings, Bea and Arlo D’Rosario
Sponsor: York’s Chocolate Story
The Neighbour of the Year Award
Winner: Matt & Sarah Turner
“I became extremely unwell and ended up semi-paralysed. I’d been-house bound for several months as the NHS couldn’t give me a wheelchair. Matt and Sarah went out and bought one so I could get out of the house. They wouldn’t accept any money. They also offered to pay my bills and lend me £1,000 to cover everything.
“Recently, I moved in to my own house. They allowed me access to their works van, gave me keys to Matt’s mums (she’s in a care home) & told me to take anything I wanted for my new house. I was able to kit out my house with new sofas, chairs, dining table, wardrobes, beds, everything you can imagine! Even down to utensils and cleaning products. They wouldn’t accept a penny.
“I couldn’t have done it without them. They also regularly help by walking the dog and cat/house sitting when I am away. “I would love to prove to them how much they mean to me and how grateful I am for everything they’ve ever done.”
Finalists: Chris Patrick, David Scott
Sponsor: Hayley Owen
Volunteer of the Year
Winner: Claire Maxted Wiggins
Claire made around 300 care packages for those in need, for adults, kids and babies. Each one was wrapped and sent between Christmas 2024 and Easter 2025.
Each box contains gifts, hobbies, treats and clothes. They’re sent to distribution centres for the Trussel Trust and Salvation Army. They are sent to towns and villages across York and Harrogate, North Yorkshire, Kirklees and Lincolnshire.
Claire herself has debilitating pain from arthritis and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
She is on intense medication and needs 24 hour care.
“My son cares for her. I do not know how she does this, yet has over 30 years experience in charity and volunteering and has raised thousands for charities, always putting others first. Local people and businesses support her with gifts and items for the boxes. She just hope to make others smile.”
Finalists: Fiona Thompson and Jeanette Hutchinson
Sponsor: Craybakes
The Outstanding Bravery Award
Winner: Tom Lindsey and Morgan Carrot
The York BID Street Rangers strive to make York a safe and welcoming city on a daily basis. The team recently demonstrated outstanding bravery over a potentially serious incident.
On 10 January, rangers Tom and Morgan were on patrol in the city centre when a local business alerted them after observing an individual carrying a firearm in the High Petergate area. Without hesitation and with full awareness of the potential danger, Tom and Morgan responded promptly to the call. Demonstrating outstanding bravery and professionalism, they successfully located and confronted the suspect.
They tracked the suspect while continuously updating North Yorkshire Police and the CCTV control room. Their actions ensured the suspect was contained & monitored until authorised firearms officers arrived to take control of the situation. Thanks to Tom and Morgan’s calm demeanour, quick judgement, and commitment to public safety, the incident was resolved without further escalation or harm to the public.
Finalists: Georgia Dayes
Sponsor: Middletons Hotel and Emperors Gym
The Outstanding Talent Award
Winner: Shany Hagan
Shany’s truly inspirational journey, marked by immense personal triumph and remarkable artistic achievement, makes her an exceptionally deserving candidate for this prestigious award.
Shany has grappled with poor vision, a significant challenge that profoundly impacted her daily life and artistic aspirations. However, everything changed following successful vision correction surgery.
With her sight finally restored, Shany’s dormant, yet extraordinary, talent as apainter began to blossom. It was a truly transformative moment, unleashing a creative force that had long been suppressed.
She has had the distinct honour of painting for famous celebritiesworldwide, a clear testament to the exceptional quality and universal appeal of her artwork.
She consistently leverages her gift, generously donating her time and art to numerous charities throughout her career.
Finalists: Stephen Tearle, Tobi Milne
Sponsor: The Web Adventure Park
The Parent or Guardian of the Year Award
Winner: Jessica Evison
“After losing my brother, Nathan, aged 19 to his mental health, my mum dedicated herself to raising awareness of mental health and helping so many people along the way. She regularly raises money for various charities
and offers a listening brew at her cafe where people can come and chat over a cuppa.
“After my brother died, mum made sure we still talked, laughed and cried when we talked about our brother who was such a huge character in our lives – despite her dealing with her own grief.
“She checks in still with his friends as they do with her. We never thought we would smile again but because of mum we do, her strength amazes us all as a family.
“On the bad days when I couldn’t get out of bed she was there to listen. She never asks for anything. She always puts everyone before herself and goes above and beyond. Despite losing Nathan she has become a volunteer for SOBS – a group for those bereaved by suicide – and through this she helps so many people by just being my mum.”
Finalists: Wilma McFarland, Dale Waddington
Sponsor: Mama Doreen’s Cupcake Emporium
In The Face of Adversity Award
Winner: Ollie Cousins
At 13, Ollie lost his dad. Following this difficult time his relationship with his mum broke down. Nine days before his 16th birthday, the night before his GCSE maths exam, he had no choice but to leave home.
After a long period of sofa surfing and uncertainty, he was placed in a local youth hostel. This began an extremely low point for Ollie. His mental health rapidly declined, he even contemplated taking his own life. He was then referred to Safe and Sound Homes (SASH), a youth homeless prevention charity.
Ollie stayed with a SASH host for 18 months and it completely changed his life. He secured a full-time job working for EE in York (where he’s worked for the last three years and has recently been promoted) and moved into his own flat.
Ollie now uses his experience and skills to help change the lives of other young people facing homelessness by giving back to his local community.
Ollie couldn’t be at the award ceremony so the Lord Mayor of York Cllr Martin Rowley accepted it on his behafl
Finalists: Mandy Neal, Lesley Wright
Sponsor: Water Babies
The Ultimate Hero Award
Winner: Menfulness
This was the award voted for by everyone at the cermony..
“Matty and Jack have done so much for men’s mental health. They give up every spare moment they have and are committed to help men who have issues in their lives. Matty has personally been there for me when I had some issues.
“Matty and Jack are a powerhouse. They genuinely care about the people they are helping, they put so much energy into their charity work. They are both loud and proud and never stop. The work they both do is amazing,
“Matty and Jack deserve this, they’re two awesome gentlemen. These guys have helped myself, and so many others like me and take absolutely no credit for what they do.
“They do it because they are genuinely good guys who just care about others and enjoy seeing other people with a smile on their face.”
Sponsored by: Yorkshire Profiles
