And we’ve got your back.
The last five months have seen West Belfast challenged like never before by the coronavirus pandemic.
Thank you for voting in the 2020 Best of the West Awards
See our 2020 winners here.
See our 2020 Photo Gallery here.
And watchback on Awards Presentation Night here.
And every step of the way, the Andersonstown News has been there to reflect that painful journey — from care workers moving into care homes to the unspeakable grief of Covid funerals to the outpouring of support for our healthcare heroes and our key workers.
We even did our own bit to source and supply PPE visors for our care homes at the height of the virus.
In March, we took a time out from the annual Best of the West celebration of all that is good about West Belfast but with a pledge to come back once it was safe to do so.
Today, we announce a new date for the Best of the West Awards: Friday, 9 October, 2020.
However, to ensure the safety of the community, it's clear that it will not be possible to do a physical celebration, even with limited numbers.
Nevertheless, we will push ahead with a virtual awards celebration on that date. We will also relaunch voting on 3 September.
We have never tired a virtual awards ceremony before but an unprecedented era calls for an unprecedented response.
What’s for certain is that now, more than ever, the community needs and deserves a boost and the champions in our midst deserve to have their unstinting service recognised.
In light of the turbulent times we have experienced, we are also introducing a new award for heroes of the pandemic – people who have stood up like lions in the face of the virus. We welcome your nominations for these awards to c.sloan@belfastmedia.com.
There is a long road yet to travel before this pandemic has been quelled. However, we do know that the only time the people of West Belfast were beat was when they weren’t there.
So in that spirit of community solidarity and absolute indomitability, we relaunch the paused Best of the West 2020 and invite you to join your neighbours, virtually, in saluting the giants among us.
