NOMINATIONS for the 20 categories of the Community Star Awards are coming in thick and fast.

But we still want to hear from you, the readers, about the people who make Sussex great.

Come November, this newspaper will recognise the unsung heroes of our communities at a glitzy ceremony at the Theatre Royal in Brighton.

Today we are calling for people to send in nominations for our Public Services Award.

We are looking for services which are not just relied on by the public, but which respond to that demand with courtesy and efficiency, making a difference to the lives of the people they serve.

A good example includes the heroes in orange from the RNLI who, thanks to a scorching summer in 2013, were sent out to a record-breaking number of call-outs.

Sussex-based RNLI crews had their busiest summer for six years as more and more beachgoers and boat owners found themselves in trouble while enjoying the basking sunshine.

Eastbourne was named among the ten busiest lifeboat stations in the country while Newhaven saw its number of call-outs almost treble.

In total the eight Sussex lifeboat stations were called out 241 times between June and August in 2013 – a 10% increase on the year before and a higher number of call-outs than any year going back to 2007.

Newhaven and Brighton also recorded large increases during the summer, boasting six-year highs.

Incidents included Newhaven RNLI saving a paraglider who crash-landed into the sea on August 5 and RNLI lifeguard Arran Barker rescued a toddler at Littlehampton on August 31.

Newhaven RNLI crew member Alan Novis said: “I think the weather had quite a significant impact because we had a lot better summer than the year before.

“Because of the weather we had a lot more people using the beaches and using their boats than the year prior.” RNLI bosses have been bracing themselves for a similar turnout this summer, with sky-high temperatures recorded all across the south coast.