Five community heroes from across Central and South-East England and Wales were given a European Championships experience to remember, culminating in a trackside medal presentation from athletics legend Colin Jackson.

The European Athletics Championships in Birmingham have been about more than medals on the track this week – for five extraordinary volunteers and community figures, it was the setting for a very different kind of recognition.

The five were named "Everyday Champions" as part of a campaign run by AF Blakemore, the SPAR wholesaler for the Midlands, Wales and the South of England, celebrating the people who go above and beyond for the communities where they live.

Between them, the winners' contributions span coaching young athletes, creating safe spaces through sport, supporting vulnerable families, raising thousands of pounds for local causes, and bringing people together through environmental action – proof, if it were needed, that champions come in many different forms.

To mark their achievement, the five Everyday Champions were given a behind-the-scenes experience at the championships alongside world and European champion sprinter Richard Kilty, whose own route into the sport has a personal connection to SPAR UK – he took part in the SPAR Sprints Initiative at just 16 years old, long before he went on to become one of Britain's most decorated sprinters.

The day was capped off in fitting style at the start line of the track inside Alexander Stadium, where Colin Jackson MBE – the former 110m hurdles world record holder and one of the most recognisable names in British athletics – presented each of the five winners with a bespoke medal of their own.

It made for a memorable finale to a campaign built around a simple idea: that the people quietly making a difference in their communities deserve their moment in the spotlight too, even if their "track" is a local sports hall, a food bank, or a community clean-up rather than an Olympic stadium.

Find out more about AF Blakemore's Everyday Champions campaign here.