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1. Any UK resident (incl. Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) aged 16 or over on 1 January 2013 is eligible to be nominated, except previous winners of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sports Unsung Hero Awards, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ employees OR any person connected to the awards and their close relatives. Proof of age, identity and eligibility may be requested.

2. The nominee must:

(i) be either an individual or no more than two people who are both involved in the same sporting activity

(ii) help amateurs participate in a sports activity

(iii) offer help that does not form part of their job or take place at their place of work

(iv) help voluntarily with no financial reward

(v) in the opinion of the nominator be deserving of a ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ award

(vi) not bring the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ into disrepute (in the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's sole discretion)

(vii) have consented to be nominated.

3. Nominations can be made by accessing bbc.co.uk/unsunghero from Thursday 29 August 2013 and must be received no later than 11.59pm on Wednesday 16 October 2013.

4. Only one nomination is permitted per person and should be on the official ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ form. Nominators should declare any professional or personal relationship with the person or people nominated.

5. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will appoint a representative in each of the 12 English Regions, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who will shortlist no more than 10 nominees for their regional voting panel. The shortlisting criteria will be (i) The extent of the nominees' contribution at the grassroots level of their sport, (ii) the range and number of people helped, (iii) the impact on their local community, and (iv) the personal sacrifices or commitment made.

6. Regional judging panels consisting of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ and non-³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ members will then select a ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Unsung Hero winner for their respective region from those shortlisted and based on the criteria above. The 15 regional winners become eligible for the overall ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Unsung Hero 2013 Award.

7. A national judging panel will select the overall winner from the 15 regional winners based on the aforementioned criteria, any supporting documentation and a short ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ film about each of the regional winners. It is intended that the panel will consist of representatives from the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, leading sports figures and a previous ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Unsung Hero winner dependent on availability.

8. Nominees may be asked to disclose details of any and all criminal and civil actions pending against them, or served against them plus any unspent convictions. Entrants asked for this information must keep the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ informed of any changes to that disclosed up to the point the winner is announced. This information will be handled in the strictest confidence and will all personal information, accordance with the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Privacy Policy.

9. Following standard industry practice, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ may undertake background checks of the shortlisted finalists. Information discovered or that may have been disclosed by the entrants themselves will inform the decision as to the selection of the regional winners and overall winner.

10. The overall winner will be announced live on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ ONE's Sports Personality of the Year 2013 programme in Leeds on Sunday 15 December, to which all regional winners are invited to attend.

11. The judges' decision as to the winner is final. No correspondence relating to the awards will be entered into.

12. The regional winners will each receive a regional ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Unsung Hero Award 2013 trophy and the national winner will receive the national ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sports Unsung Hero Award 2013 trophy. There are no cash alternatives and the award cannot be sold or transferred in any circumstances.

13. Nominees must agree to take part in any post-award publicity if required.

14. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ reserves the right to:

(i) vary the opening and closing times for making nominations and to vary the date of the announcement of the awards;

(ii) disqualify any nominee who breaches the rules or has acted fraudulently in any way

(iii) cancel or vary the awards or any of the selection processes or criteria, at any stage, if in its opinion it is deemed necessary or if circumstances arise outside its control.

15. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, its sub-contractors, subsidiaries and/or agencies cannot accept any responsibility whatsoever for any technical failure or malfunction or any other problem which may result in any nomination not being properly registered.

16. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will only use personal details for the purposes of administering this award and will not publish or provide them to anyone without permission. You can read more about the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Privacy Policy at www.bbc.co.uk/privacy

17. Nominators and nominees will be deemed to have accepted these rules and agree to be bound by them.