THE search is on for a local hero to open a celebration in Preston's Flag Market.

The Inner Preston Regeneration Partnership is a group set up jointly by the borough council and Lancashire County Council to help local communities.

Now the group are holding a special day on Saturday, September 1, to celebrate the work of community groups and they are looking for a VIP who has made a real contribution to the local community to open the event.

The special person must live in either the Avenham, Brookfield, Deepdale, Fishwick, Ribbleton, Riversway, or Central area. Kailash Parekh, chairman of the Partnership, said: "This is a day devoted to local people, to celebrate the diversity of community activity and we feel it is appropriate that a local person opens the day. There are literally hundreds of people giving up their spare time to improve the quality of life in their communities and we are looking for nominations from the public for local people who have, over the years, helped to shape the community in which they live."

The regeneration partnership is made up of a group of people from the local community, employed to look after funds that will be used to help community groups and projects.

Each year eight people are elected on to the board of the group, who look after cash from the council's neighbourhood renewal fund.

Kate Thorpe, partnership manager, said: "The day will be celebrating what community groups do in Preston. Rather than paying a celebrity to come and open it we thought it would be better to get a local person to open the day. It's all about local heroes and heroines."

For information or to nominate a person call 01772 819446.