Features

LAST CHANCE: Nominations end Friday 31st October 2008

The search for the BBC Sports Unsung Hero is taking place across the United Kingdom. It will see winners named in the following 15 BBC Nations and Regions:

Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, East, East Midlands, London, North East & Cumbria, North West, South, South East, South West, West, West Midlands, Yorkshire, Yorkshire & Lincolnshire.

We are looking for an individual who, on a voluntary basis, makes a real difference to sport within your region. This person will give their time and talents to enable others to participate in sport. This may be in helping an individual, team or teams.

• This sport can be at any level.
  
• They must be someone who gains no financial reward for their time and effort.
  
• They must be aged 16 years or over.

Regional judging panels, made up of a cross-section of BBC sports staff and other local sports experts, will decide each regional winner in November.

All 15 will then will be invited to this years BBC Sports Personality of the Year show, broadcast live from the Liverpool Echo Arena on Sunday 14th December between 7-9pm, where an overall winner will be announced. 

Bursaries of up to £2,500, provided by award supporters Robinsons, are also available to winners of each regional award. This is to help them with their work in sport and the community.

Pippa Wilson with coach Paul Brotherton

Gold medallist Sailor Pippa Wilson is backing the awards as the South's regional ambassador. Pippa knows how important the contributions of unsung heroes can be - she credits his own unsung hero Paul Brotherton with making him the success he is today.

Pippa told BBC South Today: "Those people are the most important people. I had a love of sailing and my parents were instrumental in getting me going. And with Paul, who is a great sailor in his own right, it is great to be coached by some one who you respect.

Sailing is an experience-based sport and you can learn so much from people around you. I can not begin to list the people who became involved in the Beijing campaign, but I couldn't have done it without them. You need the support of everyone around you. People, like your coach, give up their lives as much as you do, but they aren't able to take a gold medal away at the end."

Margaret Simons, BBC Sports Unsung Hero

Previous winner

Last year's overall award winner was BBC South's 85 year-old Margaret Simons took the overall award in 2007 for her work over 40 years in junior football.

You can find more information on Margaret's work along with other 2007 winners by clicking on the link below:

How to make a nomination

For the nominations there are two ways to nominate either online here:

or by downloading the following PDF

To enter, you must ensure all the sections are filled in. Any nomination that doesn't include details of the nominee cannot be accepted.

Send the completed form before the closing date of Friday 31st October 2008 to:

BBC South Sports Unsung Hero,
Broadcasting House,
Havelock Road,
Southampton,
SO14 7PU

Your nominee must be informed and have agreed to being entered, nominees may be asked to appear on BBC TV and/or radio. The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding their decision.

The competition complies with the BBC's new Code of Conduct on Competitions and Voting which is published on the BBC's website.