NOMINATIONS are open for the BBC Radio Surrey Make A Difference awards, honouring people who help their local communities.

The annual awards, which started in 2011, have a new category this year: Bravery, which will go to someone who has shown outstanding courage, defiance and duty in the face of perceived danger, fear or difficulty.

The other categories include Volunteer, Community Groups, Fundraiser and Carer.

Julia Moore, the station’s senior communities journalist, said: “The awards celebrate the heart-warming stories that we hear day after day, of people going above and beyond to make a difference where they live.

“We want to hear about the amazing people who have positively impacted our communities over the past year.”

Mark Carter, the BBC Radio Surrey editor, said the categories are reviewed every year with new ones tried out.

“This year we thought we would go with a bravery category because it’s reflecting what we see in everyday life,” Mark said.

“Every year without fail we get more and more nominations so there’s always that chance to look at new categories.”

Nominations close on Sunday 5 March at 11pm and the winners will be announced at a ceremony in September.

Chris Burns, controller local audio commissioning for BBC England, said: “I am really pleased that we will once again be celebrating the good things that people are doing where they live.

“Our audience has faced tough times over the past few years and have contacted us to share their stories of how people are helping each other. It’s great that we can celebrate these unsung heroes.”

FOR full details of the awards and to make nominations, visit bbc.co.uk/makeadifference.