Bernard Keogh - October winner
On the night of 7 May 2013 at approximately 12.30am-1am Bernard received a distress call from his next door neighbour whose house was on fire. Bernard kept his neighbour on the phone and told her to shut the bedroom door and open the window whilst he phoned the Fire Brigade.
Bernard inspected the front entrance of the property but the smoke and flames were too overwhelming to attempt entering. Bernard kept his neighbour talking whilst waiting for the Fire Brigade to arrive, which they did five minutes later. When his neighbour was out of the house she was overcome with smoke inhalation and had to be taken to hospital, so Bernard's wife accompanied her.
Once released from hospital the following day without any home to go to and no family to stay with Bernard took her in and supported her for two weeks whilst helping her to find new accommodation while her home was being repaired. Bernard and his wife also took her to get new furniture for the house once she is able to return.
This courage and willingness to help is a perfect example of the Coventry spirit.