Nominations open for 2023 Community Volunteer Awards

Know a fantastic volunteer who deserves recognition for the selfless work they do? Nominate them in this year’s Community Volunteer Awards.

Arranged by Community CVS and Blackburn with Darwen Council, these awards recognise the individuals and groups who do whatever they can to make live better for others in our borough.

Awards are up for grabs across 12 categories including The Good Neighbour Award, Volunteer of the Year, an Environment Award, a Health & Wellbeing Award, and the Community Involvement Award which is open to the local business community.

Get the full list of award categories.

You can nominate people of any age who volunteer in any way in Blackburn with Darwen. It could be someone who gives their spare time for free to help out with sports clubs, someone who dedicates their time to a local charity, or someone who pitches in to keep our neighbourhoods clean and tidy. There are categories for every good deed you can think of!

It’s easy to nominate someone for the Community Volunteer Awards – you can do it via the Community CVS website.

All you have to do is write a summary of what the individual or organisation does that makes them deserving of an award.

You can also request paper nomination forms from Community CVS at the Community Hub, 35 Railway Road, Blackburn BB1 1EZ – or contact Donna Talbot on (01254) 583957 or donna.talbot@communitycvs.org.uk.

Councillor Phil Riley, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:

Our borough is blessed to have hundreds, if not thousands, of volunteers who give their time freely to support others. Between them they contribute so much to strengthening our communities and making Blackburn with Darwen a better place for everyone.

Awards like these are so important to recognise the amazing volunteers across our borough and to thank them for everything they do. If you know someone who puts others before themselves as a volunteer, please consider nominating them.

Garth Hodgkinson, Chief Executive Officer of Community CVS, said:

Community CVS is here to promote and grow voluntary action. The Community Volunteer Awards, now in their fifth year, are a truly fantastic way of showcasing the amazing work of volunteers and volunteer-run groups. If you know a volunteer or a volunteer-run group who has touched your life, please get in touch with Donna.

We want as many testimonies as possible of how volunteers and volunteer-run groups are making difference. Receiving a nomination, even if they do not win, is a wonderful way to say a big thank you to them for the important work they do. By nominating an individual or group, you will be helping CVS to say the biggest thank you possible to the volunteers and volunteer-run groups that make Blackburn with Darwen a great place to live.

The closing date for nominations in this year’s Community Volunteer Awards is Friday 25 August 2023.

The Community Volunteer Awards will be presented at a special celebration in King George’s Hall in November.

Among the sponsors of the 2023 Community Volunteer Awards are: Blackburn Rovers Football Club & Community Trust, The Hive, Blackburn with Darwen Interfaith Forum, East Lancashire Hospice, The Wellbeing Farm, Herbert Parkinson, Blackburn with Darwen Carers Service, Age UK Blackburn with Darwen, Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen, Blackburn College, PM+M Accountants, The Mall Blackburn, Humraaz, Child Action North West and Accrington & Little Harwood Community Centres.

Sponsorship packages are still available for the Community Volunteer Awards. Any Blackburn with Darwen business or organisations that would like to support the awards as a sponsor can contact Donna Talbot at Community CVS at: donna.talbot@communitycvs.org.uk or 01254 583957.