Video and pictures: Meet the Pride of Shropshire winners 2015

The Prime Minister sent a special message to last night's Shropshire Star awards dinner at Shrewsbury Town's Greenhous Meadow.

Annie Hambley and Karen Higgins were presented with both the People's Champion award and the overall winner title at the ceremony.

They are the founders of the Big Busk, which is held in Shrewsbury each year in memory of their brother Ben Bebbington who was killed in the town.

• Good Neighbour: Jean Griffin

• Special Young Person: Evie-Lou Harrington

• Carer: Miriam Hulme

• People’s Champion: Karen Higgins and Annie Hambley

• Learner: Tomos Roberts

• Courage: Fiona Smith

• Environmental Champion: Bridgnorth YFC

• Local Heroes: Ed Hullah

• Outstanding Bravery: Charles Bonser

• Overall champions: Karen Higgins and Annie Hambley

A total of 27 finalists were shortlisted in nine different categories for the event, which celebrates the unsung heroes of our county who go beyond the call of duty.

Mr Cameron led tributes to the nominees, who said that every one of them could rightly feel proud of what they had done for their community. In a special personal message to the finalists, Mr Cameron told the winners they had achieved something very special.

"This is a celebration of Shropshire's unsung heroes and everyone who has been nominated should feel very proud of what they have achieved," he said.

"Very often people who make the biggest contribution to their communities might not think they are doing anything out of the ordinary, but the truth is they have achieved something very special."

BBC Radio Shropshire's Eric Smith acted as host for the evening, and awards were presented for the Good Neighbour category, Special Young Person, Carer, and Learner.

There were also categories for Courage, the Environmental Champion, Outstanding Bravery and the Local Heroes Award.

Shropshire Star editor Martin Wright said it had been a fantastic evening and added that the standard of entries this year was very strong.

He said: "We have heard some remarkable tales of courage and selflessness, and just to have been shortlisted is in itself a remarkable achievement.

"It is both humbling and hugely rewarding to be able to honour those who have done so much for their community.

"Shropshire is a wonderful community to live and work in, and our finalists are an excellent example of what makes this county so special.

"It has been a fantastic evening and I congratulate all the winners and finalists."

More than 100 guests turned out to the glittering ceremony at Shrewsbury Town's Greenhous Meadow stadium. The event, organised by the Shropshire Star, is in its eighth year.

Karen Higgins and Annie Hambley said they they decided to honour their brother's talent by organising the Big Busk music festival to raise money for the Shrewsbury Ark, a centre for vulnerable people.

This year the Big Busk was held for the third time, with hundreds of musicians performing around the town, inviting people to chip in with a donation.

Judges said it had been hard choosing an overall winner, but added that Karen and Annie were ultimately chosen for their "vision and aspiration", demonstrating how something positive could be achieved following adversity and for "creating a community spirit that highlights the ever growing need for humanity."

Annie said: "This isn't just about us, it is about the whole team who have worked to make the Big Busk such a success.

"The whole community has been brought together, and it has been wonderful to have been able to help the Shrewsbury Ark which did a lot for Ben."

Karen added: "We had the idea, but it was a lot of other people who brought it to fruition, and we are just here as representatives of them."

Runners-up in the People's Champion category were popular shopkeeper Julie Duhrer, whose convenience store in Hadley, Telford, is the first port of call for many lonely elderly residents, and Wellington market trader Stuart Tyrer who combines running his curtain business with voluntary work as a first-aider and with the West Midlands Search and Rescue team.

The Good Neighbour Award went to Jean Griffin, who is a volunteer for the Omega charity which offers one-to-one telephone support to people feeling lonely or isolated.

She also provides friendship and comfort to the bereaved and to people caring for terminally ill loved ones.

Also nominated for the Good Neighbour category was Merle Lippitt, who was praised by neighbour Angela Evans for her commitment to village and community organisations and for her support when Angela lost her husband.

Newlyweds Ryan and Ann-Marie Mortier were shortlisted for asking guests at their wedding to make donations to Madeley Food Bank in lieu of presents.

Seven-year-old Evie-Lou Harrington took the Special Young Person award after receiving life-changing spinal surgery in America to allow her to walk. At the beginning of this year she took part in a sponsored walk with the aid of her sticks to help raise funds for her sister Emilie, who needs the same operation.

Evie-Lou said: "My friends said I had done very well, it is very exciting. The walk was difficult but a lot of my friends were there when I did it."

Her mother Donna said Evie-Lou was thrilled to be recognised.

"When the letter came she opened it herself, and was so excited," said Donna.

Other special young people were 10-year-old Eric Johnson, who ensured his dying brother Harry's last moments were filled with love and laughter, and Shereece Williams, also 10, who led an anti-bullying campaign.

Carer of the year was Miriam Hulme, who as well as caring for her own son with Down's Syndrome, organised clubs and holidays for others with similar conditions.

Other finalists in the category were Jenny Boston, who works for the Community Mental Health team based at Market Drayton, and foster carer Georgina Hall from Shrewsbury, who after transforming a teenage girl's life has now decided to give up her business to help other youngsters.

Tomos Roberts, who overcame severe dyslexia to become a successful author, took the Learner award, with Tom Miles, who has not allowed his autism to get in the way of his love of photography, and John Seabury who has become a hotshot at archery despite suffering from autism, also making the final.

Competition was tough in the Courage Award category, with nominations for Lucy Lodge who had to learn to speak again after being diagnosed with cancer of the voicebox at the age of 25, and Sarah Robertson who has raised nearly £22,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind in memory of her daughter Summer Robertson, who tragically drowned at the age of 21 while taking part in an aid project in South Africa. However, after much deliberation, the crown went to Fiona Smith, 48, from Telford, who after numerous operations for breast cancer, set up the Swimming After Surgery group to give confidence to women who had gone through similar procedures.

She said: "I am overwhelmed, it means so much to be recognised.

"It makes such a difference when you apply for funding when you are recognised in this way. When I saw it in print that I had been nominated for the Courage award, I couldn't believe it. It also means that other people in a similar position will say 'if she can do it, so can I'."

Bridgnorth Young Farmers took the Environmental Champion award for the group's work preserving the historic Daniels Mill in Eardington, beating off competition from the Montgomeryshire Against Pylons campaign, and The Cambrian Railway Orchard Project.

Paramedic Ed Hullah from Newcastle-upon-Clun, who helped saved lives in Nepal following this year's devastating earthquake – even commandeering the Nepalise prime minister's helicopter to save a woman's life – received the Local Heroes Award.

Stiff competition came from Constable Sarah Grove – who disarmed a knife-wielding attacker in a dark street in Bridgnorth – and Dr Martin Deahl, who helped fight the deadly Ebola virus in Sierra Leone.

The Outstanding Bravery category was also closely fought. Hero binmen Dave Trow, Sean Lane and Stuart Pugh, who rescued an elderly couple from their burning car in Shrewsbury made the final, as did Shrewsbury Town Council workmen James Williams, Mickey Bramall and Andy Hill, who rescued a baby girl whose pushchair had blown into the River Severn.

But the award went to Charles Bonser who wrestled with a snarling pit-bull cross to prevent it attacking a three-year-old girl and two women.