A pensioner who has brought Christmas magic to thousands of children in Burton and South Derbyshire for more than 20 years has been nominated for a Burton Mail Heroes award.

When Derek Liddle launched his community project "Derek's Tree" from his Birmingham living room back in 1995, he had no idea it would grow into the beloved community organisation it is today.

Based in Coopers Square shopping centre, the project sees a host of volunteers dedicate hours and even days to ensuring vulnerable children in Burton and South Derbyshire enjoy Christmas just as much as everybody else.

Every year, charities in the area put together a list of disadvantaged children who use their services and face going without a present for Christmas.

Derek Liddle
Derek Liddle

Staff and volunteers from the charities then ask each of these children what gift they would like most from Santa that year.

Their first name, age and what gift they would like are then printed on cardboard gift tags, which are hung on a tree in Coopers Square shopping centre.

Passers-by can choose one of these tags and buy the present for one of the children.

The team of volunteers, including Derek, of Main Street, Burton, then check to make sure the gifts are safe and appropriate before packaging them up for the youngsters.

The presents will then be handed out to the children's homes in the run-up to the big day.

Volunteers at the Coopers Square base work around the clock on the project, while members of the public collect gifts and donate wrapping paper.

Now largely run by a team of dedicated volunteers, the project successfully brought in £60,000 worth of presents in 2017 - to every single child who was on the list.

Members of Burton Albion Academy with Derek Liddle (centre)

Paula Davies, who has recently taken over as chairman of Derek's Tree, said: "Derek is so passionate about what he does.

"He works selflessly for families and children in and around Burton. He has done for years and he still does now.

"We give our Christmas cards to the charities every year to thank them and the cards have a picture of Derek on the front because it's so important people associate him with Derek's tree.

"He has worked tirelessly for years. It's so important to him. He is Derek's Tree."

Derek has been nominated for The Volunteer of the Year Award, sponsored by Riviera Travel, as part of our Burton Mail Heroes Awards, which will be announced in July.

Riviera Travel, which aims to offer customers "the world within reach," is a Burton-based award-winning travel brand which offers a wide range of fascinating tours and luxury river cruises.

As well as offering unique holidays such as Mediterranean yacht cruises, transatlantic crossings and luxury train journeys, it also offers a collection of holidays designed exclusively for solo travellers.

Since Riviera Travel was established in 1984, it has consistently won awards for the outstanding quality and value of its holidays, and for its exceptional customer service.

The company was awarded 'Travel Brand of the Year 2017' by Which? and, more recently, the highly coveted 'Recommended Provider' status for river cruising.

Staff at Riviera Travel
Staff at Riviera Travel

Ben Hitchcock, sales and marketing director at Riviera Travel, said: "As a local business born and bred in Burton, we are delighted and proud to be a sponsor of the Burton Mail Heroes Awards.

"Riviera Travel would not be what it is without our team, who do wonderful things for our customers every day. The Burton community is all the better for its local heroes, and they deserve to be recognised for their selfless contribution."

The Burton Mail Heroes Awards aim to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of people, including unsung heroes and outstanding neighbours who go the extra mile to help others without a second thought for themselves.

Nominations are still open - and anyone can nominate someone they think deserves recognition.

The ceremony will consist of a drinks reception, three-course meal, celebrity hosts and the awards themselves where category winners will be announced.

To nominate your hero and say the biggest thank-you of all, all you need to do is fill out this form. It's quick and easy to do.

There are awards for: