'It is going to be a fantastic evening' says a company boss as the Best of Hartlepool Awards moves to another stage

Steve Walker of Stagecoach North East which is backing the Best of Hartlepool Awards.

Stagecoach North East is one of the sponsors of the Best of Hartlepool Awards.

Steve Walker, Managing Director at Stagecoach North East, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the Best of Hartlepool Awards for another year and would like to thank the Hartlepool Mail for involving us again.”

He said the event is a great way to celebrate all that is good about the town.

Steve added: “The Best of Hartlepool Awards provides an excellent platform for celebrating unsung heroes in the community and is an opportunity for the companies involved to take centre stage and gain the recognition that their great efforts deserve.

“I’d like to wish everyone the best of luck with their nominations and hope that everyone enjoys what promises to be a fantastic evening.”

Stagecoach North East is a subsidiary of Stagecoach Group Plc and provides bus services across the region, including Hartlepool, Teesside, Newcastle, South Shields and Sunderland.

They say their aim is to provide safe, reliable and comfortable services with great value tickets.

With more than four million journeys made by customers in Hartlepool each year, Stagecoach is one of the largest bus operators in the North East and has become an integral public transport solution in the heart of its local communities.

The firm is also a major employer in Hartlepool and with almost 100 employees based at the Market Place office and Brenda Road bus depot, the organisation is also a key contributor to the city’s economy.

Nominations have now closed for the Best of Hartlepool Awards and judges had the hard task of choosing the shortlist of contenders when they met up earlier this week.

Scores of nominations were received in the competition, covering everything from community champions to sporting heroes.

The awards evening will be held at Hardwick Hall on Wednesday, December 4 and the categories include Volunteer of the Year, Community Group, Sports Team, Fundraiser of the Year, Carer of the Year and Student of the Year.