An art gallery which has transformed a former newsagents in Ellesmere Port is nominated for a Trinity Mirror Cheshire Your Champions award after a successful first year.

The former shop at 5 Whitby Road on the town’s old high street closed its doors in 2007 after 23 years of trading.

Six years later, with efforts being made to breathe new life into empty premises in the town centre, the owner of the property, next door to the Citizens Advice Bureau near Westminster Bridge, applied to the council for a refurbishment grant.

In return for the grant, the council was offered the opportunity to nominate an organisation to use the shop on a peppercorn rent for two years.

Enter local artist Sonja Moss-Dolega and her ambition to exhibit art and offer artists and craftspeople the opportunity to display their work alongside courses in pottery, painting and textiles.

She beat competition to use the space and set up a community interest company, the new Paperboat Gallery, swiftly destined to become a hub for local artists.

Sonja said at the time: “We’ve already been very busy with requests from people keen to share their passion, talk to like-minded people and look for an opportunity to sell or exhibit their work.

“This is a great opportunity for my team and I to put Ellesmere Port on the arts map.”

She saw the gallery as ‘sending a little paper boat on a mission to bring the arts to the town and its people’.

Fast forward 12 months and it was a question of ‘what's next at the Paperboat Gallery?’

Sonja said: “We are very proud of what we have achieved in our first, very exciting year.

“I would like to thank all of our friends, customers and clients for their support with an extra thank you to all our volunteers and support workers.”

To nominate someone for a Your Champions award, fill in the form below.  Closing date for nominations is October 11 2014.

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