PUPILS and parents across York have been urged to nominate their favourite teachers in this year’s Community Pride Awards.

The awards, which celebrate the city’s unsung heroes, look for inspirational teachers who are enthusiastic and committed to making a difference.

This year, for the seventh time, Drax Power Station is sponsoring the Teacher Of The Year category.

Urging people to nominate teachers Melanie Wedgbury, head of external affairs at Drax, said: “Teachers have an enviable abilty to inspire children. This award recognises those teachers who use their ability to the full. They are often the unsung heroes.

“I think the Community Pride Awards are fantastic and when you see the people who receive the awards and the nominees, it’s quite a humbling experience.

“I find it quite overwhelming that none of the people who are nominated ever expect it. They think it’s something you do.

“They do not do it to receive awards, they do it because they are good people.”

Dr Wedgbury said the teacher of the year category fitted well with the firm’s aims to engage with the public through education, the environment and youth sport.

Last year Millthorpe School teacher Gareth Davies took the award for his “cool, funny, inspirational” teaching methods.

The Community Pride Awards, which will have a York 800 theme this year, are run in partnership with City of York Council and sponsored by Benenden Healthcare.