Meet the Pride of Manchester 2022 winners

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Our city’s finest will be flocking to the Kimpton tonight for a celebration of Manchester’s unsung heroes. The Manchester Evening News Pride of Manchester awards, in partnership with TSB, honour Mancunians with incredible stories to tell.

Hosted by Kym Marsh, the evening saw extraordinary Mancs honoured for the amazing things they do to bring together and nurture Manchester’s communities. This year’s winners include courageous kids, amazing fundraisers, and awe-inspiring police officers - all of whom make Manchester the place it is today.

Here’s a full list of the winners, and all you need to know about the incredible work they do. The M.E.N. Pride of Manchester Awards, in partnership with TSB, will premiere on YouTube on Tuesday May 17 at 7pm.

Spirit of Manchester Award

Dr Erinma Bell, 57, Manchester

An activist and campaigner, Erinma has devoted her life to protecting young people from violent crime and giving them opportunities to build a bright future.

She founded a local community organisation called CARISMA (Community Alliance for Renewal, Inner South Manchester Area) in 2003, after she witnessed a shooting with her husband Raymond.

“A friend of mine was shot and shot right in front of me,” she recalls. “From that night I thought enough is enough, because I didn't want to have to go through that ever again. We needed to get local people to own the problem and concrete action.”

Erinma, who grew up in Moss Side, formed CARISMA to work with under-25s across South Manchester and counter the growing gun and gang violence in Moss Side and surrounding neighbourhoods. In 2007, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, recognized Erinma’s efforts in his book Britain’s Everyday Heroes, and the following year she was awarded the MBE for