Nominate and say thanks to the wonderful women of Sheffield

We have held our Women of Sheffield awards for the last two years and it would be completely wrong to give this year a miss.

Sadly, we can't hold our usual awards ceremony in the present circumstances but we can share their stories to inspire others and make sure they feel special.

You can nominate as many women as you want, in as many categories as appropriate.Categories:Dorrett Buckley Greaves MBE Award for Community

Community spirit has risen wonderfully like a phoenix from the flames as our neighbourhoods learned to cope with lockdown. Who do you think has gone above and beyond to help others?

These are the people who bring a smile to your face because they put others first. The award is named after the city's first black foster carer and founding member of Sadacca.Kathleen Roberts Award for Grit

Named after the woman who brought the story of Sheffield's Women of Steel into the national spotlight, this is an award that thousands deserve this year.

However, we want a winner who has really shown strength and determination in circumstances which are tougher than your average. We all know somebody who has had to find extra grit this year so do nominate them please.

Barbara Wragg Award for Charity

We have all been lifted by stories of kindness as we have struggled our way through kindness. This woman had a £7.6 million Lottery win and gave away the vast majority of it to help others. You don't have to have donated money to win this award - we want to hear about generosity of spirit, volunteering and fundraising too.

Winifred Gales Award for Politics

This award is in honour of a woman who, among her many achievements, launched Sheffield Society for Constitutional Information and was accused of treason in 1794.

This city has many women who have fought to help other people during 2020, at a time when they were needed more than ever. They don't have to have been an elected official or belong to a political party, they just need to have made a difference.

Pam Liversidge OBE Award for Engineering

Away from the headlines, there are many women in our city who have made a name for themselves in engineering and we want to share their stories to inspire future generations. Lockdown hasn't stopped them.

This award is named our Sheffield's first female Master Cutler and president on the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Jessica Ennis-Hill Award for Sport

This Olympian brought joy to our whole country and, in her name, we are looking to honour a woman who has managed to keep going despite it all - online or off.

It could be a club volunteer, a dancer, an athlete, a sports volunteer ... there are so many people who have adapted their specialisms in ways none of us could have imagined this time last year. They all deserve a nomination.

Marti Caine Award for Entertainment

This award is named after a Sheffield singer, actress and television presenter who always made her audiences feel better. As our city struggled with lockdown and entertainers lost their crowds, who do you think deserves special recognition and praise for how they have got through the industry's most challenging year ever?

Mary Ann Rawson Award for Education

Every teacher deserves a medal for getting through this year in ridiculously tough circumstances. This award is in honour of the woman who set up Wincobank School in 1839 and we want to know about those women who have not only taught in the classroom but online, helped beyond their job description and given support that kept families going. There are plenty of them out there and we want to hear about them.

Sarah Nulty Award for Creativity

The founder of music festival Tramlines always found new ways to entertain folk and we believe there has been a lot of that during the last 12 months. We are looking for nominations in any area of creativity - drama, music, art and more - and we know none of that has been easy this year so tell us about their story.

Elizabeth Parkin Award for Entrepreneurship

Named after a woman who made her name as a philanthropic steel owner in the 1700s, we are looking for individuals who have diversified, adapted their business – or even launched a new one – during the pandemic. There are incredible tales of firms - tiny, medium and large - which have found a way through and we would love to see them nominated so we can all show our support.

Dr Helen Mary Wilson Award for Health

We want to hear about the many incredible Sheffield women who have played a role in keeping our health services going during the toughest times, in the footsteps of the woman who became the city’s first female doctor in 1893. It doesn't matter where they are in their career, this has been the toughest year for those who care for us when we are ill and they deserve thanks.

Dr Helen Sharman Award for Science

The first Brit in space was born and raised in Sheffield. We know there have been lots of female scientists who have done incredible work against the odds this year. Tell us about them, their achievements and why it matters. Their stories are more important than ever.

We have had some tough times this year, in fact it has all been more difficult than we ever could have imagined.

Yet we have got through almost 12 months of a pandemic that has destroyed life as we knew it. How have we done that? With the support, love and friendship of Sheffield folk.

That is why I couldn’t let this be the year when we didn’t honour the women in our city who have done such wonderful things. It might have been the easier option but it wouldn’t have been fair.

The last 12 months have seen sisters, mums, grans and colleagues do more incredible things than ever, with less support than ever and in circumstances that have mentally and emotionally impacted every single one of us.

We started these unique awards because we all know women who never expect thanks, never ask for thanks and rarely get a word of thanks.Now, more than ever, we need to let them know that we see them, we appreciate them and we understand that what they do makes our city a much better place for all of us.

They have adapted their work, their volunteering, their support and their lives to make sure things keep happening while we make it through this wretched pandemic.

They make a difference, sometimes to just one other person and sometimes to hundreds of lives. So, we need your help to find our Women of Sheffield 2021.

We will be celebrating our winners in The Star on International Women’s Day – Monday, March 8.

I feel sad that we can’t invite them all to get together for tears and laughter over afternoon tea, as we usually would, but we will do all we can to give their spirits a lift.

After all, that’s what they all do for us isn’t it. So, please do send in your nominations and let’s make Women of Sheffield a success – despite it all!

To enter: Email 80 words on who you are nominating and why to [email protected]. Include which category/categories, contact details for the nominee and their full name. Closing date: Midnight, Sunday, February 28.