TEN-year-old Oldham schoolgirl Keira Arnold is one of 14 “outstanding health and care champions” in Greater Manchester.

She was among the group of winners at the first ever city region-wide awards for the health and care sector at the Museum of Science and Industry on Friday evening.

Keira received the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham’s Special Contribution Award for her fund raising efforts for Dr Kershaw’s Hospice.

She raised more than £6,000 to help grant the last wishes of hospice residents as a thank you to the hospice team that cared for her father in his final days when she was four years old.

Mental health social worker Simone Litvaitis was crowned the People’s Champion, after being nominated by a service user who says her support changed, and probably saved their life.

And the Village Angels and Haven Volunteers were recognised for their commitment to keeping people safe in Manchester’s Gay Village with the Dedication to Volunteering Award.

The team who came together in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena terror attack to help support the families of the victims, the SWAN Bereavement Squad, were awarded the Collaboration Award. The team is made up of nurses, coroners, police family liaison officers and mortuary staff.

The event was hosted by BBC North West Tonight’s Annabel Tiffin and was attended by over 200 guests, including nominees and their family and friends, their nominators, and health and care leaders from across the region.

The Greater Manchester Health and Care Champion Awards are the first in the city-region to recognise members of our paid and unpaid health and care workforce who regularly go above and beyond to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Greater Manchester.

The awards were organised by Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, the body that oversees the area’s £6bn devolved health and social care budget, with support from the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.

The event was sponsored by Gold Sponsor GE Healthcare Partners, Centrica, the Growth Company, Health Innovation Manchester, Hempsons, Hits Radio, KPMG, NHS Professionals, all four Greater Manchester universities, Neyber, PA Consulting and Salary Finance.

Mr Burnham said: “I am really proud to support these incredibly important awards. They are all about taking the time to thank our health and care workforce for going the extra mile day in and day out, to keep our communities well.

“I was blown away by the stories of all our shortlisted nominees and I am glad these awards have helped bring them into the spotlight. Their hard work and compassion is an inspiration to us all.”