INSPIRATIONAL woman from the east Cleveland area were honoured at a ceremony at the weekend.

The overall winner of the Mo Mowlam award was Linda Dickinson, 56, of Normanby, Middlesbrough, who has a son, Alfie 17, with Down’s Syndrome and autism and another son, Sam, 18, with Asperger’s.

She was nominated by her daughter, Helen Humphreys, who explained that, as well as looking after her sons and two grandchildren, her mother raises money for charity, coordinates an autism family support group, is a volunteer advocate for a local family whose first language is not English and whose autistic son is in a long-term assessment and treatment centre in Northumberland, is a trustee at a charity and for five years gave talks to students at Durham University.

Nearly 150 people attended the event at the Bellamy Pavilion at Kirkleatham Museum, near Redcar. The Mo Mowlam prize was awarded by Redcar MP Anna Turley.

Other winners included:

• Glynis Rodgerson, who won the Individual Achievement Award for her work as a volunteer at Leonard Cheshire Disability’s Marske Hall and fostering 59 children

• Kat Kempen who won the Inspiring Others award for her work at a foodbank and community café

• Vera Rider who won the Community Contribution Award for her work as chairperson at the Gleneagles Community Centre at New Marske

• Mia Flood, aged 17, who won the Young Woman’s Award for her fundraising work in memory of a friend who died of cancer

• Linda Dickinson who won the Volunteer Award.