Nominations open for the 1V Awards 2023 Leader’s Award

Know someone who deserves recognition for how they help bring our local communities together? Nominate them for the Leader’s Award in the 2023 1V Awards.

These prestigious community awards, now in their seventh year, celebrate local people from all walks of life who go over and above to make Blackburn better.

The Leader’s Award, to be judged and presented by Council Leader Coun Phil Riley, will acknowledge and reward an individual or an organisation that has shown strong leadership throughout the borough to enhance the reputation of the town and local residents. It will also recognise someone with a strong ethos of integration and cohesion.

The Leader’s Award is part of the hugely successful 1V Awards Dinner, led by charity One Voice Blackburn.

Councillor Phil Riley, Council Leader, said:

The 1V Awards are fully established as one of the best events in the local community calendar.

The event is so powerful and fills you with pride as you see people coming together and celebrating the best of Blackburn. It’s great to hear so many stories about the impact people are having, giving of themselves for the greater good.

One Voice is a really forward-thinking organisation. They are a force of good who share the values of the Council so we are proud to partner with them on many different initiatives. The young people they develop and involve are really inspirational.

Last year’s winner of the Leader’s Award was the Blackburn Muslim Burial Society. BMBS was founded around six years ago to help support bereaved families through the most difficult of times. Volunteers offer a funeral arrangement service which normally involves dealing with all transportation, washing and shrouding, burial and prayers and paperwork arrangements. They work closely with families to help facilitate and support according to their wishes.

The previous 18 months had been especially tough for the group with the challenges presented by Covid-19 but the commitment of teams to bring solace to bereaved families has never wavered.

Blackburn Muslim Burial Society Leader Imran Patel said:

We were delighted to be recognised in this way. It means that we are doing something right which is ultimately of the utmost importance. We are committed to continue working closely with the coroner, hospital trust, hospital mortuary CCG, paramedics, registrars, cemetery, doctors, the police, the masjids and, most importantly, the community to improve the burial system and raise awareness of the needs of the Muslim community.

Previous winners have included Keep Blackburn Tidy, Derek Estill of the BwD Interfaith Forum, and Scouts Lead Stuart Parker.

To nominate an individual or an organisation for the 2023 Leader’s Award, email a 150-word explanation giving reasons for your choice to info@1vblackburn.org. The closing date is 20^th January 2023.

The winner will be chosen by Coun Phil Riley and trustees of One Voice Blackburn. The winner will be announced at the 1V Awards Dinner 2023, to be held at King George’s Hall in late February 2023.