A Nottinghamshire family known for adding Christmas sparkle in the name of local charity for more than two decades has been awarded Nottingham Express Transit’s (NET) Community Hero accolade as the initiative returns for 2026.
Following an outpouring of public nominations, Tony and Wendy Swift unveiled a tram named in their honour as they were officially crowned the city’s latest community heroes. Best known for transforming their home into the annual Nuthall Christmas Lights display, Tony and Wendy have raised more than £300,000 for Nottingham-founded children’s charity Wish Upon a Star and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust’s specialist palliative care unit, Hayward House. This cause is particularly close to Wendy’s heart, as it was where her father, John Sheeran, received treatment after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Following 22 years of dedication, they switched off their festive lights for the final time in 2025. Nominations referred to Tony and Wendy as ‘superstars’ who were deserving of having a tram named in their honour as ‘a tribute to their dedication and hard work’, with many noting that they wished to mark the end of their festive fundraising legacy with the honour.
The Community Hero accolade was awarded to Tony and Wendy after Nottingham residents were asked to nominate the person or charity they felt had made a positive and long-lasting difference to the city. The nominees were then shortlisted and put before a panel of judges. The panel comprised Eve Smallman, editor of The Notts Edit; Oliver-James Campell, founder of Notts Happening; David Russhard, principal lecturer in civil engineering at Nottingham Trent University; Donna Harrison, commercial coordinator at the University of Nottingham Students’ Union; and NET’s Head of Operations and Safety, Andy Downie. Following careful deliberation, the panel crowned Tony and Wendy Swift as the 2026 Community Heroes, with their named tram now set to feature on the network for the next twelve months.
Tony Swift said: “Wendy and I would like to thank the people who put us forward for this lovely award, as it really means a lot. Another thank you should also go to all of the people who have helped us over the last 22 years to make this event possible, especially my sons, Adam and Daniel, and my neighbours, Mark and Jayne, who have supported us every year since they moved in.”
Other names featured in the publicly nominated shortlist included Kerry Warwick, for her commitment to the Sneinton and homeless communities, as well as Anna MacArthur, founder of the Fun Chorus choir.
Tony and Wendy will now join a range of notable Nottingham figures who have also had a tram named in their honour, including last year’s Community Heroes, Switch Up founder Dr Marcellus Baz BEM and social enterprise Pulp Friction, as well as football star Mary Earps, actress Vicky McClure, and Olympic ice skaters Torvill and Dean, who switched on the final Nuthall Christmas Lights in 2025.
Alison Sweeney, Head of Marketing at NET, said: “Our Community Hero initiative shines a spotlight on the everyday people who truly make a difference to the city, and this year’s nominations continued to showcase the abundance of fantastic and meaningful efforts made by people in Nottingham every single day.
“We’ve always been proud to use the names on the sides of our trams to recognise the contributions of local people and, alongside our fleet of celebrity names, our rotating ‘Community Hero’ tram is a really special addition. As a public transport operator that connects friends, families and local communities, recognising these people’s achievements is something we are incredibly proud of, and we couldn’t do it without the general public, who help to bring so many of these wonderful stories to light.”