You’re all winners

Congratulations to our 2023 Spirit of Salford Community Award nominees, finalists, and winners.

City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “Thank you for your care and commitment to others, for your desire to improve your community and your city and for your courage in facing adversity and challenges.”

Citizen of the Year, the Community Group of the Year and Public Servant of the Year were chosen by public vote. The rest of the awards were decided by a panel of judges. Read more about our fantastic winners below.

Award winners on the night

Citizen of the Year Award

Keri Muldoon is a whirlwind of positive energy in her community, always there to help, from hosting parties at a sheltered housing complex, to promoting free access to arts and culture, organising community fun days and running community collections to support local, struggling families.

Keri is a member of the Manchester International Factory Academy, Greater Manchester Cultural Ambassadors Network, The Lowry Show Selectors, Salix Homes Customer Committee, Greater Manchester Flood Group, Friends of the Earth and Eden Communities. She uses these roles to bring opportunity and information to her community. She is also a careers officer at the Broughton Trust helping local young people and works as a crossing patrol.

Community Group of the Year Award

Dancing with Dementia is a social, dance and entertainment group for people living with dementia, their family, friends and carers. Dancing with Dementia does tremendous work to tackle the loneliness and isolation that people living with dementia and their families can experience.

The group is run by five trustees who work tirelessly to provide people with the opportunity to socialise, take part in enjoyable and enriching activities and build a support network.

Find them on My City Directory Salford by searching https://directory.salford.gov.uk/

Public Servant of the Year Award

Jo Salim is a tenancy sustainment officer at ForHousing. She has been described as an amazing person and an ‘angel of life’, who goes out of her way to help sort things out for her tenants. Jo has been commended for providing support to people experiencing difficult circumstances.

Spirit of Salford Special Recognition Award

Revive has improved lives in Salford for 20 years, supporting refugees, people seeking asylum and wider communities. Revive's holistic, long term services support people to integrate and participate in their new neighbourhoods. Its casework on immigration, housing, health, and benefits helps people address practical challenges around settling in Salford and its enrichment programme supports mental and physical health and wellbeing and fosters integration. Visit www.revive-uk.org for details.

Young Person of the Year Award

Tom Barrow attends high school in Salford and is a resilient, hardworking and caring member of the school community. Tom has overcome several challenges in his life and has been praised by his school for working hard to get great results and always being compassionate and helpful towards others. As well as excelling at school, Tom is a carer at home and has taken part in extra-curricular opportunities at local universities.

Volunteer of the Year Award

Danielle Wright created Salford Litter Heroes, a dedicated community group which works to clean Salford’s streets and improve the local environment. Danielle has also worked on fundraising activities for health and wellbeing. Find out more and join in by visiting www.facebook.com/ SalfordLitterHeroes or www.salford.gov.uklitterheroes

Good Neighbour of the Year Award

Val Butterworth of Boothstown produces a popular email newsletter to keep local people up to date. She goes out of her way to support her neighbours, for example delivering food and collecting medication during the pandemic.

Best Health Achievement Award

Aspire 2 Age Better provides support for those living with dementia and older people. The volunteers have been inspired by their own experiences to work hard to ensure everyone can age well and has the support they need during difficult times. They run activities, social groups, and support groups from the Humphrey Booth Resource Centre, providing social interaction, emotional and mental health support and helping people remain active and independent. Visit https://iamaspire.org.uk for information.

Best Environmental Improvement Award

The Friends of Parr Fold Park group was set up in 2014 to enhance Parr Fold Park. They have 30 volunteers who attend several sessions a week to help maintain the park and their work culminated in Parr Fold Park being awarded Green Flag status, only awarded to the parks judged amongst the best in Britain. The group also runs events throughout the year and has replaced and rededicated a memorial plaque in the park. To join them or your local Friends group please visit www.salford.gov.uk/friends

Best Community Safety Project Award

The No More Knives Tour empowers high school students to make good choices about knives and knife crime. It teaches young people the dangers of carrying knives and how they can play their part to secure safer streets. The tour has delivered a great deal of activity in Salford, engaging with thousands of young people.