FIFTY deserving people from the Potteries are being lined up to take part in celebrations marking Stoke-on-Trent's 100th anniversary.

Wednesday, March 31, is the centenary of the federation of the six towns in 1910, which created Stoke-on-Trent.

Major celebrations are planned, including street parties and a civic reception hosted by Councillor Jean Bowers, Lord Mayor of the city.

The dinner, at Kings Hall, Stoke, will welcome 50 deserving people – nominated by Sentinel readers – and their guests, making up The Sentinel 100.

Mrs Bowers said: "It's great we can include worthy people, the ordinary men and women on the streets.

"We don't just want to honour the well-known ones, we want to find the people who work hard and are well known in just their own community, so we can honour them too."

Already three deserving people from across the Potteries have been nominated to take a seat at the dinner – cancer campaigner Dot Griffiths, fund-raiser John Leese and grassroots-football organiser Graham Hemmings.

Dot, aged 62, of Hartshill, led the successful Women Fighting For Herceptin campaign, which allowed women from all over the country to receive the life-saving Herceptin drug on the NHS.

Dot, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 1999 was nominated by friend and fellow campaigner Lynne Burton, of Penkhull.

Lynne said: "Dot has been a prominent campaigner in the last decade.

"She has this ability to make people feel better, merely by meeting her and she did so much during the campaign."

Mr Leese, affectionately known as the Tin Can Man, has raised more than £350,000 for the Douglas Macmillan Hospice in 17 years.

The 83-year-old announced his retirement last year, but he returned to his old haunt of The Potteries Shopping Centre in Hanley over Christmas and raised £6,170 in just 15 days.

He was nominated by his brother-in-law Bert Whitehead, of Hartshill.

Bert said: "He has a big relationship with people and they trust him."

Mr Hemmings, Blurton Ladsandads chairman, was made an MBE this year in recognition of more than 40 years' service to grassroots football.

The 72-year-old was nominated by Clive Dean, Staffordshire Ladsandads chairman, who said: "Graham still does all the manual stuff like sweeping the dressing rooms and locking up."

Councillor Ross Irving, Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader, said: "One hundred years ago, six towns came together as one to form a single federation, that later became this great city of Stoke-on-Trent.

"It's fitting that on March 31, exactly 100 years on from that historic coming together, we will celebrate with this federation dinner, which will see people from all walks of life from throughout Stoke-on-Trent celebrate."

Mike Sassi, The Sentinel editor-in-chief, said: "We are looking for the hard-working, spirited people who make the Potteries what it is.

"Other federations have broken up within a few years, while six towns which have all kept their separate identities have grown into something we can all be proud of."

A panel of judges will choose the final 50 guests.