A NORTH Yorkshire DJ and presenter has been nominated for a Yorkshire Choice Award - aiming to be ranked with the "best of the best," in the county.

Ryan Swain, from Malton, has been nominated for the award after he raised more than £25,000 for various NHS charities together during the Covid-19 pandemic. He has done this through his live streams, gameshow's and DJ sets keeping people in high spirits and entertained during the lockdowns.

Ryan has also recently been leading two global campaigns in his community, the first of which is called 'Rescue The Ramp' - which worked to save an iconic half-pipe ramp at his local skatepark - which he managed to get world famous skateboarder Tony Hawk to support. Overall, the campaign gained sponsorship of £15,000 for the ramp.

The second campaign Ryan organised, called ADHD & Me, involved motivational and educational talks and touring shows which were aimed at all age groups, but mainly young people, encouraging them to speak out about their mental health disorders.

Speaking on his nomination for the Yorkshire Choice Award, Ryan, 31, said: "I'm truly humbled and overwhelmed and when I found I'd be nominated for this award I actually cried.

"I don't do what I do for gratification. I do it because I genuinely get a kick out of helping people and making a positive difference to people's lives. If I can use my name and status to help someone then I will do it, for me it's an absolute no brainer.

"Celebrity and the entertainment culture can often get a bad name and can be perceived to be conceited and selfish, but for me if I can use my name to make an actual difference, whether it be through fundraising, spending time with people or volunteering to help.

"If I was to win it I'd dedicate it to my twin daughters, Ivy and Isla."

Ryan has been giving motivational talks selflessly in schools, colleges, universities, community groups and theatres across the country. He has also been delivering them virtually to sold out audiences across the world - and is continuing to do so into 2022.

Ryan's content around mental health and wellbeing, the laws of attraction and ADHD have been viewed millions of times across social media - and he said they help people on a daily basis.

The Yorkshire Choice Awards was founded by Joanne Maltby and Melanie Malcolm who saw an opportunity to recognise and raise the awareness of local people and independent businesses that are inspirational in their own way or in the markets they serve.

The awards are voted for by the public. To vote for Ryan, visit: https://bit.ly/34BmZwR

To watch Ryan's motivational video, visit: https://bit.ly/34Dv4RI