I FELT honoured to be a part of this year’s Community Pride awards.

This year the council supported the Public Sector Hero category, which for me was an excellent opportunity to thank those who were nominated for their hard work and dedication.

I would also like to thank all public-sector workers in York, whether they are school crossing patrollers, such as Trevor Palmer, who was runner-up this year, or anyone who helps support these services.

During the awards ceremony, I met some truly inspirational people and felt honoured to represent the council in a ceremony of which all residents should be proud.

May I also thank on behalf of the city the organisers of the French-themed week. As a city, we are proud to be associated with the achievements of the French airmen stationed in York during the Second World War and the memorial is a permanent tribute to their bravery and dedication.

No one who saw the remarkable Anglo-French flypast of planes can have been failed to be moved and it was a truly fitting way of keeping alive the memory of the efforts of the French airmen.

Coun James Alexander, Labour leader of City of York Council.

• I WISH to say a big, big thank-you to the racecourse for putting on a phenomenal event last when for the York Pride Community Award ceremony. It was a huge success and the atmosphere was electric.

I also want to pay tribute to the judges, who had difficult decisions to make. It made you think about what life is all about and count our blessings.

I would like to say well done to Brian Hughes, fundraiser of the year. Bad luck to Dave Sykes and myself, who were nominated. I was expecting Dave to win for his epic solo microlight journey from Rufforth Airfield to Sydney, Australia.

Thank you to Ron Middlemiss, who was our fundraiser for Myasthenia Gravis for partnering Sainsbury’s, and Wendy Brookes who also nominated me.

Please everyone, do your bit to help make York a great place to live.

Andrew Fair, Woodland Way, Huntington, York.