THE deadline is looming fast to nominate your choice for Craven's unsung hero.

Tomorrow is your last chance to put yourself or someone you know in the running for this year's Craven Community Champions Awards.

Completing a simple nomination form is the gateway to gaining one of these seven awards:

• Arts and Culture Award (sponsored by Peel Entertainment) - This award celebrates those who have made an outstanding contribution to arts, cultural and heritage activities in their community or the District in general.

• Best Community Group (sponsored by Keelham Farm Shop) – This award recognises a voluntary group that has made a positive impact on people’s lives and/ or has made a significant contribution to their community of the District in general.

• Greener Craven Award (sponsored by Craven District Council Waste Management Service) – This award recognises an individual or group that has made a contribution to enhancing the local environment. This can include anything from cleaning up a green space to starting a recycling initiative; from starting an allotment group to organising a clothes swap.

• Innovative Business Contribution to the Community (sponsored by Principle Healthcare) - This award recognises and rewards an organisation that has developed a breakthrough product, service or product to address a community need. Innovation is defined as unleashing an opportunity that is more effective, equitable or sustainable than existing approaches.

• Sport and Recreation Award (sponsored by Broughton Hall Business Park) - This award celebrates those who have made an outstanding contribution to amateur sport or physical activity in their community and District in general.

• Volunteer of the Year Award (sponsored by Angus Fire) - This award rewards an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to their community through volunteering in 2013.

• Young Citizen of the Year Award (sponsored by The Coniston Hotel) - This award will be given to a young citizen aged 11 to 25 who has made a positive difference in their community or District in general.

Cirteq, based in Glusburn is one of the world’s largest circlip manufacturers and for the third year running is the associate sponsor of the Craven Community Champion Awards.

Angus Meikle, managing director of Cirteq, said: “As we spend most of our working life dealing with international markets and customers we are pleased to continue to support local initiatives, in particular, for the third year in succession the Craven Community Champions Award as associate sponsor. It is the efforts of a local workforce who have helped and continue to help to grow our business."

If you know of an organisation or individual you think should win one of the awards or if you would like to nominate yourself, complete a nomination form by 5pm, September 5. Nomination forms are available from the Craven District Council website www.cravendc.gov.uk/communitychampions and from any Craven library or doctor’s surgery.

All shortlisted entrants will be invited to an awards evening at the Coniston Hotel on October 23. Winners in all categories will be presented with an award and prize.