On Thursday 18 March Liverpool's first five Community Cultural Champions were announced at a ceremony in Liverpool Town Hall.

100 people from the city's communities and Liverpool First partner organisations came together to celebrate Liverpool's cultural achievements during and since 2008. The audience, led by presenter Dean Sullivan and the Lord Mayor, Mike Storey, welcomed the champions into the lime light for what looks to be an exciting year ahead.

After a three month long search, which resulted in more than 100 nominations, 15 candidates were shortlisted to become Cultural Champions, with the five chosen to represent each of the city’s neighbourhoods. Their job is to attend cultural events and ‘blog’ about their activities over the next 12 months.

The champions are, from left to right:

Paul Argent, of Heatherdale Road, Mossley Hill says 'Biennial changed the way he understands modern art'. Has now become a guide too and will be representing South Liverpool.

Kristal Clark, of Sherwell Close, Wavertree volunteered to help at AND Festival at FACT and ‘realised there was more to life than work and the pub. Kristal will be representing South Central.

Donna Williamson, of Canalaside Road, Vauxhall was inspired by The Folly, which she helped with as a volunteer at The Rotunda. Donna will be representing City & North.

Barbara McGrouther, of Ellerslie Road, Tuebrook became an ‘08 Volunteer in late 2007 and can’t forget Respectacles exhibition. She loves showing people Turning The Place Over too on Tithebarn Street. Barbara will be Liverpool East's Champion.

Becky Smith, of Romley Street, Walton who was supports people with learning disabilities and was inspired by how Superlambananas engaged them. Becky will be representing Alt Valley.

The event was also an opportunity to launch the Liverpool First Cultural Strategy Delivery Plan 2010-14. 'The Plan' as it's become known has been devised by the Liverpool First Cultural Task Group as a delivery framework for the city's Cultural Strategy. There are in all 61 key recommendations for improving or building on the city's cultural offer, based around five key themes; cultural vibrancy, access and participation, creative learning and skills development, economic growth and image, identity & sense of place.

Councillor Gary Millar, Executive Member for Enterprise and Tourism, who also chairs Liverpool First Culture Task Group, said those chosen champions will have demonstrated a “newly found passion for culture and an appetite to discover".

He added: “We’ve had a fantastic response from so many people talking about how the experience of ‘08 has touched and changed them - and how they as cultural champions want to now inspire their communities and can help us improve what we as a city do culturally.

"I’m really excited by what we can achieve with our Cultural Champions – they are the next step in connecting our neighbourhoods to what else is happening in the city from concerts and plays to the UNESCO bid, the boat show, the World Expo or World Cup bid.

"We also want this to be a fun year for the winners – attend new events and ‘immerse’ themselves in the culture of Liverpool, which as we all know is amazingly vibrant and exciting. This is the start of a new cultural conversation which if successful for all parties is something we’ll look to roll it out every year."

To download a copy of The Plan or the Cultural Strategy, visit the Cultural Task Group web page. Visit the cultural champions blog to see what they're saying about their cultural experiences in and around Liverpool.