Nominate your real life hero with #AnnieMovie and you could be in the chance of winning £150 worth of High Street Vouchers and a Sandy Plush Toy! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

To celebrate the new Annie Movie - (at Cinemas December 20), the team behind the film would love to hear all about your own personal real life hero.

The team behind Annie the movie says "If you've seen the film, you'll know Annie forms a strong bond with the Jamie Fox’s character, Will Stacks. Stacks believes he’s her guardian angel, but Annie’s self-assured nature and bright, sun-will-come-out-tomorrow outlook on life just might mean it’s the other way around.”

Check out the trailer here:

We'd love to hear about someone you know in real life (or even on MN) who has provided you with support, or does good things which help you or your family. This could be a neighbour, teacher, family member, friend or someone in a particular job.

You don't need to give their real name if you'd rather not. Please share your hero on this thread - everyone who does so will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win £150 worth of High Street vouchers and a Sandy Plush Toy.

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

PS - check out the great 12 days of Christmas comp from Annie here

My older brother, who has basically acted as my only father figure in life, even though he is only 4 years older than me. He's always helped me and surprised me with things my whole life.

One example: when I was in high school and he was at uni, I was really upset because all my friends were going to prom and had bought new, lovely dresses to wear which my mum couldn't afford for me. I was moaning to my brother on the phone about it and saying I wasn't going to go, and somehow he cleverly got out of me which dress I wanted. A week later, I came home from school and there was a parcel waiting for me. He'd only gone and usd some of his crap student wages and ordered me the dress I wanted so badly so I'd have something lovely to wear like my friends. He's the best.

When I was growing up (overseas) we had a "house boy" who was placed in our house by my Dad's company. My parents did not get to choose who we got, nor did they have any say in the skills or anything. Staff were all men (because of where we lived). Our house boy did not know how to do anything but slowly taught himself to cook, clean and look after children. He came from a culture where this was women's work and yet he did everything to the highest possible standard.

What makes this more that just a story about a nice person who helped a family is that my parents' marriage was breaking down the whole time this was going on (about 7 years). He brought up my youngest sister - feeding her, taking her to school, playing with her. He covered up for my Mum's alcoholism and did her job as well as his own. He was steady, from a good family and knew about the importance of a good home life. My father was a fairly unkind and domineering man who was away most of the time, my mother was either drunk, hungover or screaming at us.

He taught us a lot about what men can do - that it is possible (this was the 70s) for men to run households and do "women's" work. But he also taught us that family doesn't have to be blood related. In fact, he, as an Indian man, was very very different to the English family adrift overseas that he worked with. But he was family. We saw him recently for the first time in years. He is a prosperous man in India now. His job enabled him to marry and he owns his own business. He thanked me for all that we did for him - for the financial support he received from the job. But, really. He was Mum, Dad, big brother and all round steady person all rolled into one.

We thanked him - repeatedly. In many ways, heroes can be found in the most unlikely places.

My MIL is a hero in our family - my own parents live in a different country so she steps in as my own Mum too where she can. She loves our children unconditionally, always ready with a smile and a cuddle and shows endless reserves of love and patience.

I know it's cheesy but AnyFucker has been my hero and saved me from a lot. She helped me to see the wood through the trees twice in relationships that I shouldn't have been in, and although she didn't (and doesn't) mince her words I appreciate them now more than ever since I'm in a much happier (single) place.

(Namechanger)

My nan and grandad were my heroes as my dad died when i was two and i spent much of my childhood being looked after by my nan and grandad whilst my mum had to work. They looked after my children when i had them and really were fantastic taking us on holiday with them and helping us when things were hard. They have both sadly passed away now but we have lovely memories with them that we as a family will always cherish.

My aunt. Having 3 children of her own her family swelled by 3 over night when she fostered myself & 2 siblings. We weren't easy kids by any means bit through everything she has been there.
Growing up with her as a role model I thank God for as she really taught me how to be a mum. As well as looking after 6 children she would work & go to college at night to get her degree.
She has been there without a second thought at the birth of all her grandchildren
& is a fantastic nanna.
She is a real life inspiration & defo my hero

Mine is a lady that used to look after me a lot as a child. My parents got divorced while I was very young, I got left with my mum and didn't see my dad much. My mum was never very caring or hands on and would palm me off to this lady who was a friend of hers. She would have me round a few days a week, feed me, love me, include me on days out and family holidays and never got a penny from my mum. She made a massive difference to my childhood, in fact I thino without her I would be a very different person today.

I have a friend, originally a colleague, but became a very dear friend. We don't see each other as she lives far away and has pretty severe health issues and I am agoraphobic so can't go more than a few minutes from my home. However, we are in regular contact and she is so supportive, kind-hearted and just lovely I can tell her anything.

I feel sad knowing we may not see each other in person for a long time, but I treasure her.

She gives the best hugs and I miss her.

My siblings and parents

My MIL is an absolute superstar. She works so hard in her job. She is a genuine salt of the earth type person. Kind, generous and treats me as her own (more so than my own mum).

I really love and respect her a lot and she is my hero.

(Need to tell her this and will thanks to this thread)

Mine is my mum. She gave me what was pretty close to a perfect childhood, and to do that she worked like a dog for years and years and years. She is my role model and my hero.

the chair of our tenants action group - always fighting on the side of social justice, indefatigable and socialistic.

Dd. We've had a tough few years with bereavement, illness and difficulties with ds2, who is awaiting ASD assessment.
Dd is a star with ds2, takes it all in her stride, stands up for him, tolerates him, can calm him down and distract him better than Dh or I can.
She is generally amazing, a real inspiration. I'm very proud of her.

My dad. He had an awful childhood and young adulthood, and worked from 14. Then when he and mum finally retired they both rapidly became frail and mum developed dementia.
You'd have never had him down as a carer, but now he does everything, and keeps track of their many, many medical appointments, makes sure mum has as much pleasure as possible, and even finds the strength to complain about short comings in provision to try and change things for others.
I'm so proud of him because its not what he wanted, and he finds it incredibly hard, but he battles on.

And I'm very grateful for all the people who are his everyday heros - the staff in his local Waitrose, the staff in Boots, and those who make a little time in their day to chat with a very frail old man who otherwise wouldn't get to talk to someone face to face.

A friend of ours never ceases to amaze me with his kindness to all the people he meets. He is constantly thinking of how he can help other people. From rescuing me at 11pm when my car was stuck in a ditch in the snow, to calling us from hospital to check how we were and see if he could help us in any way when we'd had a new baby (whilst dealing with a totally unexpected cancer diagnosis himself, and the prospect of imminent surgery to remove a large tumour), he has always been there for us. At Christmas (and throughout the year) he always opens his home to people who have no family or friends to spend Christmas with, and he and his wife also do respite fostering. He is just a wonderful friend and his constant kind acts, always done quietly, have touched so many people. He never misses a chance to help. I am so grateful to count him as one of my friends.

My precious Mum.

In April this year my amazing Dad died. After a year long battle with oral cancer. During the time he was fighting his own battle he was trying to look after Mum.....she has Alzheimers. When I started going several times a day to check on them I realised just how poorly Mum was. She is now in a nursing home and loves it.

I looked at her blue eyes last time I visited her....beautiful light blue eyes. She is my hero - When we were growing up she didn't eat until the rest of the family had been fed, I dont remember her ever having or wearing make up, she never had new clothes. She is the most selfless person I have ever met. The most amazing Mum, Grandma and Great Grandma (or Gee Gee as the three great grandchildren call her.)

She keeps remembering that her husband of almost 60 years has died. Then she cries......so then we have a sing song (usually an oldie) and then I tell her 'dirty jokes' and she laughs and says she is going to ground me!! I am nearly 58.

Thank you Mum - thank you for everything. I love you dearly and I am so proud of you xxxxx

My hero - 'our Dot!!' x

My DH.

He is my rock - cheesy but true!
He is a fabulous husband & father and is truly my best friend.

We've both had our fair share of 'drama' but he is so strong and positive, and knows just what to say and do, that we have got through some quite traumatic times!

I don't know what I'd do without him.

I would have to say my sister for dealing with all that life has thrown at her this year and still being able to smile and think of others.

My mum. I know it sounds cliched but honestly... She had a very hard life growing up as there was war in her home country so she lacked a lot and her own mother was never there for her like ever. So she basically had no mother figure and her dad was too busy thinking about his other kids. She could have grown up being all miserable and holding a grudge but she always has a smile on her face for everyone. You would never think she had a rough life. She had so many death scares from my sister and brother, but she was strong throughout it all. A lesser woman would have crumbled but not my mum. I love her to bits and only hope I could be as wonderful as her to my own kids.

I'd nominate my son's teacher who he had last year. He'd had a really rough time at school previously which led us to changing schools several times and we totally lost confidence in the school system.

Teachers had become the lowest of the low because of the problems we had witnessed in schools.

So I was very nervous when he went back to school last year. But he was blessed with the MOST amazing teacher who went above and beyond the call of duty.

She was on call 24/7 with my son often emailing her through the night when he had concerns.

When he struggled to settle into his new class this September, this wonderful teacher from last year, stepped in to take care of him and help him settle into his new class even though she had her new class to look after as well as a whole host of other school responsibilities.

She has encouraged and supported my son and reassured us but most of all she has single-handedly managed to restore our faith in 'teacher-kind'.

She is a hero!

My mum - she is everything to me and I would be lost without her. Such a help to me with her invaluable advice, patience, tolerance and help.

My best friend Pauline helps me out such a lot with EVERYTHING. She helps me take my mum out in her wheelchair and pushes her for me as she knows I suffer with a bad back, she irons, cooks if I want and is just an amazing friend.

My mum - I would be lost without her!

I would nominate my daughter, she stood by me through the toughest of times and has unstinting belief in me, even now.