A DENTAL practice in Malvern is looking for Shining Lights in the community to be recognised in its award scheme.

Beacon DentalCare, Pickersleigh Road, is again running the Beacon Shining Lights Awards that it premiered in 2012 - and this year the awards will be bigger and better.

The aim of the awards scheme is to to recognise the efforts of individuals - not groups - who are volunteering in the community across a broad spectrum of areas.

Practice co-owner David Watson said: "We worked with 26 charities during 2011 to help them raise their profile and some money, and we were humbled by the number of people from our community who give generously of their time to help others.

"We felt these people deserved some recognition so we decided to launch the awards. We were so pleased that other small local businesses helped out by offering prizes to the winner and attending the awards ceremony. It was great to see the local business community pull together."

The winner in 2012 was Mary Whetherell, a volunteer at St Richards Hospice. Other nominations were for youth group volunteers, charity founders and sports leaders.

Now Beacon has got together with Malvern-based events organizer Wendy Marston to make this year's awards bigger and better.

Co-owner Karen Sutton said: "I met Wendy at a local business networking group, and discovered she works with large corporations running awards ceremonies. I asked her if she would help me make the Beacon Shining Lights Awards as big as I felt it should be. and she was happy to oblige."

The judging panel includes Dr Sutton, Free Radio DJ Helen Wheels, Emma Phillpott of the Wyche Innovation Centre r, Paul Farrer, composer and TV producer, and John Wilson, deputy editor of the Malvern Gazette.

The six categories in the 2104 awards are: Family and Community, Health and Youth Health, Social Care, Animals, Environment, and Education.

If you know anyone who you feel goes above and beyond the call of duty in any of these areas, and you think it’s about time they got some recognition, then please nominate them.

Anyone in the Herefordshire and Worcestershire area is eligible, and the deadline for nominations is September 26.

To find out more, visit beaconshininglights.com or facebook.com/beaconshininglightsawards.

Beacon is also seeking local businesses to donate prizes to the winners of the categories, or to sponsor one of the awards categories.

Dr Sutton said: ""There are so many unsung heroes in our local area, it really is time to give them the recognition they deserve - we’d really appreciate your help, however small."