Four exceptional youngsters and a pioneering group from Greater Manchester are to be honoured on Friday at our third annual Urban Hero Awards.

The awards recognise young people who have made exceptional contributions to their local communities over the last year – or have bravely overcome a major obstacle in their lives.

All of the nominees have been directly impacted by the work of The Message Trust, a Christian charity working with the hardest-to-reach young people in Greater Manchester’s schools, communities and prisons.

Five category winners have already been named as winners of the Achiever, Champion, Courage, Inspiration and Volunteer Awards.

They include a former drug dealer now helping young offenders in prisons; a school drop-out now back in full-time education; and a notorious community trouble-maker who is now an active local volunteer. A pioneering group which worked together to help combat antisocial behaviour among young people in Oldham is also receiving a special award.

The overall Urban Hero of the Year will be named and presented with their award at a glitzy red carpet ceremony at the Palace Hotel, Manchester.

This is the third year the Urban Hero Awards have taken place. In 2008, teenager Anthony Martindale from Harpurhey scooped the award for services to his local community. Last year, Stephanie North from Openshaw (pictured above) won the award for courageously pursuing justice in the face of bullying and threats to her family.

The event, which will feature performances from In Yer Face, Twelve24 and Lz7 is sponsored by Stagecoach and a host of north west businesses: Wigwam, Safe Records Management, Stephensons, The Grand and Jurang.

Tags: Andy Hawthorne, in, In Yer Face, LZ7, Manchester, Twelve24, Urban Hero Awards