Two regional dailies account for almost half of nominees in an annual contest to find the best local news campaign of the past year.

The News Media Association has revealed the shortlist for this year’s Making a Difference award, which honoured campaigning journalism in the regional press.

Both the Glasgow Times and the Hull Daily Mail received two nominations each, while six other titles are in the running for the prize.

The winner will be decided by a public vote during the NMA’s week-long Journalism Matters campaign, which begins on 1 November.

The Times won its places on the shortlist for its ‘Bank On Us’ campaign, which contributed to around 100,000 underprivileged children receiving Christmas gifts in 2020, and the ‘Give Our OAPs A Shot’ push to bring vaccination appointments forward for those over 65.

The Mail’s successful ‘Help our Hospital Heroes’ drive, which raised £30,000 for frontline medical staff treating coronavirus patients ensured its place on the shortlist, alongside its ‘Save Our Ship’ bid to secure a future for Hull’s last distant water fishing trawler, the Kirkella.

The winner will be announced on 5 November.

The full shortlist is as follows:

Birmingham Mail – BrumWish
Cambridge News – Cambridge Coronavirus Fund
Essex Live – Death In Care
Glasgow Times – Bank On Us
Glasgow Times – Give Our OAPs A Shot
Hull Daily Mail – Help our Hospital Heroes
Hull Daily Mail – Save Our Ship
Reading Chronicle – Help Save Charlie
The Chronicle, Newcastle – Passionate People, Passionate Places
The Herald, Glasgow – Memorial Garden Campaign