With the new year welcomed in last week, we’re already setting our sights on one of our biggest events of 2016 – the Comet Community Awards.

The Comet: Formula One commentator David Croft presents the Young Achiever award to Immy Blackburn-Horgan at last year's Comet Community Awards.Formula One commentator David Croft presents the Young Achiever award to Immy Blackburn-Horgan at last year's Comet Community Awards. (Image: Archant)

The annual awards ceremony taking place at Letchworth’s The Icknield Centre in May will highlight the achievements of many unsung heroes from across Stevenage and North Herts, and again we’re looking for your entries for the 12 categories open to the public.

Whether you know a Role Model of the Year, one of the many Charity Champions in our midst or have a Great and Green candidate in mind, then we want to hear from you.

Ahead of the awards night itself, we have teamed up with main sponsors Roaring Meg – with the Stevenage retail park giving out £100 cheques on a monthly basis for those making a difference in the community.

The Roaring Meg Community Heroes initiative will continue right up to the May 20 ceremony, with all winners also being put forward for the main awards.

A spokesman for Roaring Meg, which is based just off Monkswood Way and is currently undergoing developments which will see a new Toys R Us store open this spring with a Debenhams department store following in 2017, said: “Being part of Stevenage for as long as the Roaring Meg Park has, we have become part of the fabric of so many peoples’ lives – not just serving retail and leisure needs, but also providing a social area for the community meets.

“When the opportunity was offered to us to become the main sponsor of the Comet Community Awards, it felt a natural fit and something we really wanted to do, having sponsored the Valiant Volunteer category.

“Through Roaring Meg Community Heroes, we can reward a person who has gone above and beyond with a cheque for £100 – someone who gone that extra mile in their job, or maybe an an unpaid volunteer or helper.

“As we read the nominations each month, it never ceases to amaze that there are such good people out there doing what they do, not for personal gain, but out of the goodness of their hearts.

“It can make picking just one monthly winner incredibly difficult.

“All last year’s winners were overwhelmed when we contacted them, and what better way to work with our community than to heap praise on those who give so much and expect so little in return.”