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The Argus Community STAR Awards are back in January 2019!

Nominations are now closed for this year's awards.

Voting is still open however for the Outstanding Contribution to Sussex until Friday 21st December

A huge thank you to all of you who took the time to nominate your local hero.

Full details of the winners will be posted here after the event..

Outstanding Contribution to Sussex award category supported by American Express

American Express has revealed its shortlist for the coveted Outstanding Contribution to Sussex Award at the forthcoming annual Argus Community Stars Awards.

Previous winners of one of the most prestigious prizes of the night, sponsored by American Express, include astronaut Tim Peake, homeless charity campaigner Andy Winter and last year's winner Ryan Heal CEO of the Rockinghorse Children’s Charity.

Beverly Sawyers, Vice President at American Express said: “We are proud to be supporting the Community Stars Awards for the ninth year. At American Express, we believe it's important to recognise the efforts of individuals and organisations making a valuable social impact within our communities. All three nominees shortlisted for the Outstanding Contribution to Sussex Award deserve to be applauded for their remarkable work.”

The Brighton-based finance firm has selected Robert Senior, a British entrepreneur and philanthropist, Imelda Glackin, chief executive of the Martlets hospice in Hove & Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim, internationally renowned DJ, musician, record producer and charity supporter for public vote.

The winner will be announced at the ceremony at the Grand Hotel Brighton in January.

The Shortlist

• Norman Cook (AKA ‘Fatboy Slim’) - Internationally renowned DJ, musician and record producer

• Robert Senior - Businessman and philanthropist, Lewes

• Imelda Glackin, CEO Martlets

Norman Cook (AKA ‘Fatboy Slim’) - Internationally renowned DJ, musician and record producer

Long term Brighton & Hove resident and charity supporter. Norman is marking 20 years of ‘You've Come a Long Way, Baby,’ released on 19 October 1998 recorded and produced at his home studio in Brighton

A huge supporter and former shirt sponsor of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club. A keen runner, he ran the first Brighton Marathon 10 years ago and has run the Brighton Half Marathon on several occasions to fundraise for charities including Young Epilepsy. A Martlets ambassador and supporter of the charity for many years.

This year, he opened LagoonFest, the inaugural festival to raise money to install new natural plantings at Hove Lagoon, organised by volunteers from Friends of Hove Lagoon (FoHL). Norman and his son Woody, also donned superhero costumes for the annual Heroes Run on Brighton and Hove seafront raising money in aid of RISE UK, a Brighton-based charity which helps survivors of domestic abuse.

Robert Senior - Businessman and philanthropist

Robert Senior is a British entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded the global research company Euromonitor International in the 1970s. He moved to Lewes, East Sussex in 2000 with his wife Sarah Hunter and their three daughters.

In 2010 Robert established The Chalk Cliff Trust, a charity which provides small to medium size grants to charitable organisations across Sussex. Since then the charity has made around 1,500 grants including 200 in 2018. Recipients include hospitals and hospices, charities working with disabilities, children and the elderly and regional arts organisations.

In 2012 Robert funded and co-founded Depot cinema in Lewes, East Sussex. The three screen cinema has since won many national and regional awards including the Selwyn Goldstein Civic Trust award for accessibility, the LABC national award for building excellence and the RTPI award for planning excellence.

It is considered one of the most environmentally friendly cinemas in the world. The cinema provides a diverse range of films including world cinema, documentaries, classics and new movies. The programme also includes live performances and many charitable events. All screenings and events are at affordable prices and it has had a huge impact on the local community.

In November 2018 Depot was nominated for the Screen International Cinema of the Year award, bestowed on the best independent cinema in the UK.

Imelda Glackin, CEO Martlets

Imelda has more than 30 years' experience working in health, both in the NHS and the voluntary sector. She qualified as an RGN in the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin in 1984 and moved to London to work in Haematology and Oncology. She then moved to Hospice care in London in the 90's and this is where she found her real passion.

Supporting people with a terminal illness is where she felt her skills lay and she also says that it was here that she learned so much about life and what really matters in life. Imelda talks about it being such a privilege to be with people as they approach the end of their life which could be years or months.

Really appreciating what matters to people is so enlightening and inspiring and she says its the patients and their families who have been her greatest role models in life.

Having over stayed her original visit to London the sea called and she moved to Brighton. She held several Hospice management roles in Worthing and Brighton. Imelda then took up the role of Chief Executive of Martlets in 2014 and she claims that she has the best job in town, leading an incredible organisation with an outstanding team of people which include staff and volunteers.

The core aim is always to deliver the best care for patients and their families in the place where they want to be cared for. Martlets is a charity and so relies on the support of the community to ensure it continues to deliver the services that the people need.

Since becoming Chief Executive she has overseen the popular Snowdogs by the Sea Public Art Trail in 2016 which raised £310,000 for the hospice. It is hoped this Autumn’s Snailspace Trail of 50 snails and 50 junior snails, each uniquely designed and located around the city, will be as successful.

An inspirational woman, whose focus is to give patients and their families the best end of life experience possible at the most difficult time.