The BIG Interview - Susie Cornell, President of The Pride of Essex Awards
Susie Cornell was born in Birmingham but has lived in Essex since 1974, when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Before moving to the county, Susie had been living in the fast lane as a radio DJ in Majorca.
Susie was the first British adult to go to the world-famous Peto Institute in Hungary and brought back the first exercise programme to help those with MS. She trained at Derby General Hospital in 1994 in Clinical Ecology, and then as a therapist and lecturer in reflexology, aromatherapy, nutrition, and sports injury.
Susie was awarded the MBE for her work and later appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Essex.
Tell us about the history of the Pride of Essex Awards?
The Awards were launched in 1994 as the Essex Achievement Awards as ‘special awards to recognise special people'. Over the last 30 years, we’ve recognised and celebrated hundreds of special people – those who make a real difference to other people’s lives. This year’s awards are now open for nominations. (See how to nominate below).
In 1994, I presented prizes to children at an East London school. One girl asked if there was a prize for her mummy, who also had MS. I knew a reporter at the Essex Chronicle, and together we approached the Editor and secured the newspaper’s support for the Awards.
You’ve met and know quite a few celebs, but which have been at the awards presentations?
Jimmy Greaves, a national football legend, was the first celebrity to present the awards. I’d also been friends with Anthea Turner, the TV presenter, and she’s presented the awards on a few occasions.
Others were the Countess of Wessex, Terry Waite, who was held as a hostage for five years in Beirut and rock musician keyboard player and composer Rick Wakeman.
We try to make the ceremony really special for the nominees, so as well as the celebrities Lord-Lieutenants of Essex also attend in their uniforms.
Who funds these Awards and the presentation evening?
There are some very supportive companies. Most have been sponsoring the Awards for many years. They’re listed on the Awards website.
In the 1990s, car giant Ford backed the awards and extended them nationally to cities including Exeter, Aberdeen, Hull, Leicester and Canterbury, where the Awards were staged using our format.
Who are the ‘special people’ who receive awards?
There’ve been so many who’ve made us all feel very humble. It’s all about celebrating what these people and groups do and what they achieve. The stories of the youngsters are often very emotional.
In 2014 Jessica Taylor was Child of Courage. Jessica has Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Lung Disease and Secondary Pulmonary Hypertension, and needed oxygen 24/7. She took her first steps at six and soon after had a trunk adapted to carry her oxygen so she could move around school independently. In 2013, aged 8, she completed a 1-mile sponsored walk, which took two and a half hours and raised money for the 100,000 Smiles Appeal.
Then there was Ellie Challis, the Inspirational Youth awardee in 2018. Ellie, from Clacton, is a quadruple amputee, having contracted bacterial meningitis as a baby. She’s now a World Champion Paralympic swimmer and won a silver medal in the Tokyo Paralympics and a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. An exceptional young athlete who has overcome incredible challenges to excel in sports and academics.
Jane Smith, the Unsung Hero in 2023, dedicated over 30 years to improving the lives of people struggling with deafness, hearing loss, tinnitus, and other hearing-related challenges. She did this as a volunteer and in a professional capacity, working for local charities and hospitals. After retiring from the NHS in 2019, she volunteered to help at the Hearing Help Essex charity as a Trustee.
There are so many more adults, young people, children and groups who do so much to help others in Essex. The awards recognise and celebrate their work, which really does glue our communities together. Without them, Essex would be so much poorer in many, many ways.
Back to you Susie. What happened after your return from the Peto Institute in 1988?
While I was there, TVam were filming children having treatment for cerebral palsy. By chance, they were told about a woman from the UK who was having treatment for multiple sclerosis. So, they filmed me and invited me to appear on TVam. I told my story about the exercise treatment I received. Then the phone started ringing with people asking for the exercises - and it didn’t stop. I typed notes about the exercises initially, then had to make a video, which is still being used.
About 100,000 people in the UK have MS - there’s no cure - so they wanted the exercise programme. During all the media interest, I was told about a technique using a unique pressure machine that worked alongside the Peto exercises so my husband, Ian, designed and built me the pressure machine. Before I knew it, everyone wanted my knowledge.
In 1993, Ian and I opened a health and fitness club called Under Pressure (seeing as a pressure machine was partly responsible for the club’s birth). The club was designed for disabled people to work alongside able-bodied people. In 1995/6, Under Pressure was voted the best small club in the UK, and I received an award for outstanding contribution to the fitness industry.
My book ‘The Complete MS Body Manual’ was published and following that, in 2004, I was made a Deputy Lieutenant of Essex. Then, in 2007, came a national honour, an MBE.
The Pride of Essex Awards have now become a big part of our lives, and they really do help to recognise great people and groups in Essex.
The awards recognise unsung heroes who make a difference in their communities, whether through acts of kindness, exceptional bravery, or dedication to charitable causes. Over the years, it has become a significant occasion, drawing attention to stories of resilience, generosity, and humanity that often go unnoticed in everyday life.
The awards feature these categories:
Star of Essex Award
Child of Courage Award
Team of Pride Award
Community Champion Award
Unsung Hero Award
Inspirational Youth Award
Judges' Choice Award
You probably know someone or an organisation that deserves to be nominated to be recognised. Nominate them now.
Go to Pride of Essex Awards https://poeawards.org/index.php
Do it for Essex now!