Revealed: The winners of this year's Airbus and Leader Community Awards

The Airbus and Leader Community Awards seek out the unsung heroes of our community and reward them for their efforts.

The awards give community groups the chance to secure funding for vital projects that will help improve the lives of those in need across the local area.

This year, 40 entries were whittled down to 10 finalists - with all securing at least £1,000 of funding for making to the final.

The public then voted on which finalist they think should win the highest cash prize - £7,000, with second and third place winning £4,000 and £2,000 respectively.

On Friday, at an awards ceremony at Airbus' Broughton site, Wrexham Prostate Support Group was announced as this year's overall winner.

The group aims to raise awareness and provide education for men locally given the devastating diagnosis of prostate cancer - the most common cancer in men in the UK.

Receiving the award on behalf of Wrexham Prostate Support Group was its chairman, Malcolm Williams.

He told the Leader afterwards: "We're absolutely delighted to come in first place. It was very much a team effort - we have a good group who are working very hard.

"We're very much about raising awareness of prostate cancer, and about supporting people within the Wrexham community."

"We work very closely with Wrexham Maelor Hospital, particularly with senior urologist consultant Professor Iqbal Shergill, and his team who regularly attend our meetings."

The £7,000 will go along way to buying a cryotherapy machine for Wrexham Maelor Hospital - which would be the first in Wales to have one.

The machine is now recognised as being the most effective way of treating prostate cancer.

With the £7,000 funding, the group will be just £5,000 short of the £30,000 it needs to buy the machine.

Paul Kilmister, Airbus' Head of supply chain and The Leader editor, Susan Perry pictured with Malcolm Williams, Wrexham Prostate Cancer Support Group, awarded £7,000.

In second place was Huntington Parish Council, on the outskirts of Chester, which is nurturing an "amazing" green space which became a place of "solace" for villagers during the Covid pandemic.

It has won £4,000 worth of funding towards this project - which it will begin work on next week.

It involves the village's green space, 'Jubilee Field', and creating ponds and further nurture wildflower and woodland areas.

Councillor Anthon Wilcox received the award on behalf of Huntington Parish Council.

He said: "It's fantastic to win the £4,000, we'll be working with the Wetland Trust from next Thursday to start developing the area.

"Obviously what we can do and the speed in which we can do it depends on the level of funding we have - so winning this £4,000 really helps us accelerate what we can do.

"Already this year we've planted 800 trees on Jubilee Field, and we're doing a lot of clearing work now on the natural swales area which hasn't been maintained for over a decade."

Airbus' Paul Kilmister and The Leader editor Susan Perry pictured with Councillor Anthony Wilcox of Huntington Parish Council, which was awarded £4,000.

With the extra funding, the parish council will be able to put in insect hotels, educational boards and increasing the number woodland paths.

Dynamic Wrexham took third place and has won £2,000 funding.

It is a centre for children and young people with disabilities and acts as a youth club where they can make friends and have fun.

Laura Williams is centre manager for the charity, which supports 120 local children and young people.

She said: "We're absolutely thrilled to have come third - the money will help us improve all of our sensory equipment.

"It will make such a big difference to the lives of all our children and young people."

Airbus' Paul Kilmister and The Leader editor Susan Perry pictured with Laura Williams, of Dynamic Wrexham, which was awarded £2,000.

Groups and organisations to each win £1,000 were Cae Rhug Holistic Farm, Woodwork to Wellness, Caia Park Environmental Group, NEWCIS Young Carers, Chester Pride, KidsBank Chester and Community Heart Productions.

Susan Perry, group editor for Newsquest North Wales, said: "I would like to thank Airbus for partnering with the Leader every year for the past seven years on these community awards.

"Congratulations to all the finalists - you are all making such a difference and should be very proud to have made it into our top ten.

"The past 20 months have been devastating and have made things even harder for groups such as yourselves. Now more than ever it is vital that we as a society do all we can to help and support each other.

"It is humbling to read all about the amazing projects that are being run to help make our part of the world a better place for us all to live in.

"You give your time freely and selflessly and have huge hearts, putting others first and I applaud and commend you."