OPINION: Our region just full of everyday heroes

You do so much for very little recognition. On every street across our region is a modest hero.

Take the three musicians who will attempt to perform in some of Britain’s best-known seaside towns as part of a two-week charity challenge as an example.

Jeremy Dawson, Clare Wallace and James Rees will play their cellos on all 57 piers in the UK in just 14 days.

The group, known as The Extreme Cellists, are raising money for the Alzheimer’s Society and CHICKS, which provides free respite breaks for disadvantaged children.

Then there’s Bruce Davis, a Sheffield autograph hunter who has spent months collecting celebrity signatures in a book to auction off for charity and the staff at Investec Wealth & Investment who cycled their way to raise £28,000 for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice. An amazing feat.

The money will be used to build four bedrooms at the hospice. Without those funds and the hard work of those people the new facilities would not have been built.

We are lucky to live somewhere with such community spirit. Our residents give up their time and skills not because they have to, but because they want to, which makes them even more amazing.

And we’re a hardworking bunch just like Diane Pinder, who has clocked up an incredible 50 years working for one local bus company.

The conductor turned driver is celebrating a half century of continuous service with Stagecoach Yorkshire.

Diane, 68, from Doncaster, first joined Yorkshire Traction in 1966 as a ‘clippie’ – collecting fares and issuing paper tickets and is now a driver. But she has no plans to retire as she says she loves her job.

The region really is full of people who have drive, determination and hearts of steel.

Without them we would have fewer green spaces – Sheffield boasts one of the largest numbers of Friends Of Groups in the UK in comparison with other major cities.

These groups work tirelessly in partnership with the council to ensure that our green spaces are well used and maintained.

We’d also have fewer services – our mountain rescue teams are run entirely by volunteers and are there when we need it most.

Thousands of people from across the region give up their time to make it a better place to live, for themselves and for us all.

We should be incredibly grateful to our homegrown heroes.

Thank you.