Marvellous mothers gathered at an emotional celebrity lunch yesterday to find out who would be named the Leicester Mercury Mum of the Year.
The awards event, with Champagne reception, was held for the eight competition finalists and their guests and hosted by former Olympian and world badminton champion Gail Emms.
Suppressing tears, Gail outlined the heartwarming stories of each of the finalists before Jane Plume, of Shepshed, was declared the winner.
Gail, 35, who has just become a mum for the second time, said: "Please excuse me if I burst into tears as the stories are so moving, but this is a celebration for our truly marvellous mums."
Judge Amanda Phillips, manager of Leicester's Haymarket Centre, which sponsored the competition, announced that Jane had won the award after she had adopted the sons of two close friends who had died.
Jane, 41, had been nominated by her daughter, Millie, who told the Mercury her mum had adopted brothers Lewis and Ashton Hibberd, aged 14 and seven, after asking for permission from her own three children.
After she was announced as the winner, Jane said: "I am speechless. I didn't know Millie had nominated me until I found out I was a finalist, but I think I can forgive her now.
"I am so proud to have won. But I don't think that I am doing anything special. Every child deserves to have a mum."
Millie, 16, said family friend Gina Hibberd, whom she considered an auntie, had been killed in a car crash and that Gina's husband, Shaun, who at the time was dying from cancer, "asked my mum if he would take care of his boys".
Millie said: "After checking with us she agreed to become their legal guardian. She is doing an amazing job caring for me, my brother, Marco Plume, 19, Lewis, Ashton and my little sister Anni-Mae Richardson, seven."
The family moved from Anstey to Shepshed so the boys could stay at their schools.
When Jane was declared the Mum of the Year, there was a huge cheer from her supporters.
As well as the Mum of the Year trophy, Jane won a luxury trip for two to Warsaw with £250 spending money.
Jane said: "Millie will be coming with me. I'm really looking forward to the trip."
They will be spending two nights in the Polonia Palace Hotel with flights provided by Ryanair.
Introducing the event, at the City Rooms, in Hotel Street, Leicester, Mercury editor Richard Bettsworth said: "Mothers are the bedrock of family life.
"Even in these egalitarian times, they remain not only child raisers, carers and nurturers, but also unofficial taxi drivers, medics, cooks, cleaners and peacemakers, as well as shoulders to cry on.
"So we are proud to be recognising the contribution that mothers play in our lives with our first ever Mum of the Year Awards."
Amanda Phillips said: "My mum is my role model and it was so inspirational to hear the stories of the women who were nominated.
"Our eight finalists were chosen from an exceptional group of women.
"We are delighted to have had the chance to sponsor Mum of the Year and would like to do it again."
More than 60 women from the city and county were nominated by family members and friends after the competition opened in March.
People were asked to nominate their mum in a million by filling in a form or online.
The two runners up were Smita Kanani, 50, of Melton Road, and Sarah Steans, 32, of Leicester Forest East.
The other finalists were Tracey Bedford who makes "a huge difference to people's lives", Carol McCarthur "her daughter's rock", Seema Parekh "a secret shopping friend", Nicola Pietrzyk "an organ donor campaigner", and "amazing mother of 10" Mandy Shepherd.
All finalists received a certificate and a hamper of goods from shops in the Haymarket Centre.
Cross ref: Pictures of the event and a video are available on line.THE RUNNERS-UP
Our two Mum of the Year runners-up were delighted to have been recognised by the panel of judges.
Smita Kanani and Sarah Steans won £50 cash, a hamper, bouquet and a certificate.
Smita, 50, from the Melton Road area of Leicester, impressed the judges with her determination to ensure her children and those she fosters lead hard-working and positive lives. She was nominated by her daughter, Trisha, who is a medical student.
Smita said: "I could not believe it. I am very proud and happy to be a runner-up."
Sarah, 32, from Leicester Forest East, was not at the ceremony as she was on a trip to Disneyland Europe with her two daughters, Ella and Eva, who had nominated her.
They told the judges of their mum's fight against leukaemia, and said she was "never too tired to love us".
Sarah's award was received by her sister, Rebecca Haywood, and her mother-in-law, Elaine Steans.
Sarah, speaking from Paris, said: "I am really pleased to have been chosen as a runner-up. To have been chosen as a finalist was a thrill for me.
"I would have loved to have been at the ceremony, but we have had to cancel this trip twice and it was my daughters' wish that we could go to Disneyland in Paris."
