BLACKBURN with Darwen Council and its partners have less than one week to find the borough's best citizens.

The council's first citizenship awards are due to take place next month but nominations have to be sent back to the town hall by June 30.

Organisers of the event, which are similar to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's Pride of East Lancashire awards, are urging members of the public who are thinking of nominating someone to make sure they have time to return the completed nomination form before the closing date. Lancashire Evening Telegraph senior editorial assistant Ruth Loft is among the nominees.

Mrs Loft helped to organise the Blackburn Breast Care Support Group for women diagnosed with breast cancer and runs the Blackburn branch of the research charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, which has raised £75,000 locally in 12 years.

She said: "I am delighted to have received a nomination. I have collected awards before on behalf of groups but this is the first time I have been nominated for a personal award, so I am very happy." The Blackburn with Darwen Local Strategic Partnership, which is made up of various organisations in the borough, has agreed that awards should be established to recognise and reward citizens and groups who have made a significant contribution to the community of Blackburn with Darwen or to the borough as a whole. Nominees should live in the borough although consideration may be given to people who work there and have contributed to the well-being of others in Blackburn and Darwen.