Firefighters among Make a Difference Awards finalists

Two firefighters who raised thousands of pounds for charity are among the finalists for an award ceremony celebrating local heroes.

The BBC Radio Berkshire Make a Difference Awards has eight categories, recognising those who love to make life better for others in the county.

To date, millions of people have been involved in Make a Difference across BBC radio stations.

Winners for BBC Radio Berkshire will be selected by a panel of judges and will be crowned at a special ceremony. Here are some of the finalists.

Sarah Jones has been nominated for the Animal award for the impact she has had on the lives of anxious and reactive dogs and their owners across the UK.

After struggling with her own anxious dog, Bella, Jones founded My Anxious Dog and designed a range of yellow leads and harnesses to help signal Bella needed space.

She said: "I can't quite believe something that I started just for Bella has progressed to this which is fantastic because it helps.

"It's all about awareness so all this just helps everybody else that's struggling with their anxious dog or dogs in pain or rescue dogs, they all need a little bit of time and space."

Harry, who has raised about £45,000 for wildlife charities and other good causes since he was six years old, is one of the finalists for the Young Hero award.

The 12-year-old has completed a series of demanding challenges, including cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats and back.

Most recently he helped raise more than £4,000 through a Snowdonia triathlon to provide outdoor clothing for children at 14 schools.

Harry said he had been inspired to help after learning that hedgehogs, one of his favourite animals, were declining in the UK.

"After visiting Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital and seeing the work they do, I wanted to support them," he said.

"I started cycling when I was six years old after being introduced to it at school.

"As I got older, I realised I enjoyed longer rides and bigger challenges. Cycling seemed like the perfect way to raise money for a cause I cared about."

Firefighters Martyn Ainsworth and Shaun Foley are among the finalists for the Fundraiser award.

They undertook a challenge to be the first people to run to all 12 of Berkshire's wholetime fire stations in one day.

Starting at Newbury Fire Station, the 58-mile (92.88km) run took the pair across the county, finishing in Maidenhead at nine hours and 40 minutes of running.

In doing so they raised £3,600 for the Fire Fighters Charity, which provides care and support for members of the UK's fire services and their families.

Martyn said he was inspired to organise the challenge after the charity helped him get back to work within five months after breaking his arm in several places.

He said: "The care I got, the rehabilitation centre, the physio, got me back where I needed to be to be back on the run operationally to do my job."

The Sisterhood Community, which is among the finalists for the Active award, is a Slough-based group that encourages women of all ages and backgrounds to stay active, offering regular walks, cycling sessions, exercise classes, and coffee mornings.

Founder Carmella-Khadijah said she was inspired to start the group after feeling "isolated" following several life changes, including having a baby and coming into a new religion.

She said "consistency" is what helped her build the community.

"When I started the walking group and then nobody turned up, rain or shine I was there, I still turned up, I was still resilient," she said.

The other categories for the awards are Great Neighbour, Environmental, Community Group and Volunteer.