Ely’s first Hero Awards presented £500 to a local good cause thanks to the successful not for profit event.

Ely Standard: Ely Heroes Awards. Cllr Ian Lindsay (in the striped jacket) presenting the donation to Karl Renton, Chairman of the Ely Foodbank along with Cathy Wright, Project Director of Ely FoodbankEly Heroes Awards. Cllr Ian Lindsay (in the striped jacket) presenting the donation to Karl Renton, Chairman of the Ely Foodbank along with Cathy Wright, Project Director of Ely Foodbank (Image: Archant)

The awards, organised by Metro Rod Cambridge, in conjunction with The Ely Standard, saw nominations fly in for the 10 categories.

Ely Standard: Ely Heroes AwardsEly Heroes Awards (Image: Archant)

After finalising the accounts, a £500 donation has been made to Ely Foodbank in a presentation at The Poets House.

Ely Standard: Ely Heroes AwardsEly Heroes Awards (Image: Archant)

Councillor Ian Lindsay handed over the cheque on behalf of the Ely Hero Awards.

Ely Standard: Ely Heroes AwardsEly Heroes Awards (Image: Archant)

Cathy Wright, project director for the Ely Foodbank, said: “We give out parcels for three days’ worth of food - having fed over 8,000 people in the last five years across our centres.

“We will be able to use some of this money to keep our store stocked up, especially as we hit the winter and demand will increase.

“We rely on people’s generosity whether that is money or food because without that support we would not be able to serve the community in this way.

“This generous award will certainly contribute to sustaining our work and we are thrilled to have been chosen by Ely Hero Awards to receive this, thank you so much.”

A spokesman for Metro Rod said of the Heroes Awards: “The evening was incredibly special to everyone who attended, it was very emotional and uplifting to hear the stories of local people and the amazing things they have achieved.

“Tears, laughter and standing ovations were the order of the evening.”

Ely Hero Awards is a not-for-profit community event designed to reward and celebrate the most deserving and inspirational people in Ely and the surrounding villages.

The category sponsors included Grovemere Property, Ward Gethin Archer, Thor Labs, Life Fitness, Elyi Magazine, CHS Group, Red Shoes Accounting and Puggles and Seashorse Swin Schools, media partner Ely Standard Newspaper and organisers Metro Rod Cambridge.

Local graphic design company, Infiniti Graphics designed the logo, website and all the promotional literature. Sadie Finch, a local virtual assistant collated all the nominations.

The Poets House hosted many of the judge’s meetings for the event.

A Metro Rod spokesman added: “We’d like to thank all the tremendous support and assistance from local businesses, without which we wouldn’t have been able to pull together such a successful event, and to all the amazingly special people who help make Ely so great.”