Anyone that receives 68 nominations is never going to fail to make the judging panel seriously consider their credentials for a Local Hero award.

As the nomination forms came flooding into The Northern Echo Offices we were amazed at the level of support for boxing coach, Robert Ellis.

Ordinarily a handful of kind-hearted readers take the time to nominate a hero of grassroots sport for the Local Heroes Awards, powered by npower. So the 68 nomination forms submitted, all of them pledging their support to Robert, certainly captured the imagination.

As director of coaching at Spennymoor Boxing Academy Robert leads his team of young boxers to success at home and abroad, overseeing titles wins and coaching fighters to international recognition. But his dedication doesn't just begin when his boxers enter the ring.

Not only does he teach the noble art of boxing, he instills his fighters with discipline, manners and sportsmanship while he's also adopted a tough anti-drugs policy.

His stance on drugs saw him last year organise educational talk-ins for the boxers. He distributed anti-drug literature and former addicts were invited to speak to the boxers, passing on their words of advice.

Using the slogan 'Boxers are winners, users are losers', Robert set an example to his boxers by using the local media to speak out against drug dealers.

The number of nominations he received indicates that the level of support for Robert is high.

The nomination forms, the majority of which were written by the club's young fighters, featured some eye-catching comments. Among them were: "He is a great boxing coach, teaching the boys not just to fight, but to be professional and respectful at all times," while another said: "He devotes his own times and effort to take kids off the street to turn them into champions." One poignantly read: "He is my role model."

Spennymoor BA's most recent achievement saw Robert lead an under-17 team to an international tournament in Swedan where two of his proteges - Mark Moffatt and Gary Reay - returned with gold medals.

Through Robert's coaching the club is used to success. In his first year at the club in 1991 he coached Micky Hopper to the final of the British seniors ABA super heavyweight title whch was he'd at the Royal Albert Hall, and since then numerous boxers having achieved glory.

Neil Tell, Sean Denham, Bradley Saunders, Gary Reay and Nathan Ballan have all won national titles and represnted England while under Robert's wing.

He's has also raised money for charity and just under a year ago he organised a collection which raised over £2,000 for five-year-old Shelly Dodds of Ferryhill who has a neuromuscular disorder.

Club secretary, Paul Hodgson, who jokes that Robert is the spitting image of Arnold Schwarzenegger, is in no doubt as to who the club owes a debt of thanks to. Twelve years after forming the club he can boast to having fulfilled all of his goals.

Paul said: "If Robert Ellis were to pack in there'd be no boxing club."

Speaking of the club's boxers, he said: "They worship him.

"When he started the club in 1991 his aim was to produce champions, internationals to attract women boxers and to take the club around the world - he's done all of that." Gary Doig, npower's Community Relations Manager for the North-East said: "The rationale behind introducing the new category of the npower Leading Light category last year is that we are keen to recognise people who make a significant contribution towards enhancing their own community, whether that be through commitment to grassroots sport, the environment or charity work.

"This year we were inundated with top quality nominations. Given that we only introduced this category 12 months ago there was no shortage of class and it was immensely difficult narrowing it down to just four finalists.

"The judges couldn't fail to be impressed with Robert Ellis, who received an astonishing 68 separate nominations from members at the boxing academy he runs in Spennymoor.

"Many of the people who nominated Robert said that without his inspirational guidance their lives would have run a very different course. He teaches old fashioned values of respect and discipline to his fighters and has organised international tours. Robert is without doubt a worthy contender for the npower Leading Light title."