Groundwork have reopened applications for the Groundwork Community Awards for community groups and individuals in a celebration of unsung local heroes in communities across the UK.
The community charity first launched the Awards in 2017 to honour small local community groups making a big difference to everyone’s quality of life where they live but who often get little recognition and support. Since the Awards launched, over 60 groups from Dundee to Devon have won awards.
Graham Duxbury, national CEO of Groundwork, said: “We’re delighted to open this year’s Groundwork Community Awards for nominations. The Awards provide a great platform for celebrating the achievements of community groups and individuals across the UK who are working tirelessly to improve the physical fabric and the social and economic prospects of their areas. The response to the Awards last year was incredible, and we’re really looking forward to reading the inspiring nominations for 2019.”
The full list of categories are:
• Best Community Partnership with Business
• Best Community Group Contribution to Sport and Physical Activity
• Best Community Group Contribution to Community Cohesion
• Best Community Garden or Green space
• Best Community Group Contribution to Education or Employment
• Best Community Group Contribution to Environmental Sustainability
• Best Community Group Contribution to Health and Wellbeing
• Young Community Leader of the Year
• Community Leader of the Year
• Community Group of the Year – all round achievement award
• People’s Choice Award
The ‘Best Contribution to Sports and Physical Activity’ is a brand new category for 2019 and the popular ‘People’s Choice’ Award – that introduced last year – will also be open to anyone of the top thirty finalists with votes cast via an online voting system that is open to the public.
Hannah’s Holiday Home won the ‘People’s Choice’ Award at last years ceremony for their work to support local children living with cancer or life limiting illnesses and their families by offering free respite holidays for children and their families.
Pam Marshall, Hannah’s Holiday Home, said: “We were overwhelmed to win ‘People’s Choice’ in the Groundwork Community Awards. It is so heart-warming that members of the public took time out to vote for us making this possible. We met so many fantastic and inspirational community groups and individuals on the awards night. The whole evening was a wonderful experience from start to finish, for us all.”
Young Community Leader of the Year award was won by Temi Mwale, a 23-year old from London who founded and runs ‘The 4Front Project’ a youth-led social enterprise on a mission to empower young people and find solutions to serious youth violence.
Temi said: “I am grateful to have been recognised as the Young Community Leader in the Groundwork Community Awards. The 4Front Project strives to empower young people to improve their lives and positively impact their communities. To be acknowledged for leading by example in this regard is truly warming.”
The top three nominations from each category will be invited to an all-expenses paid awards ceremony in central London on Thursday 21 November 2019, hosted by BBC presenter, author and DIY vlogger, Georgina Burnett.
Georgina said: “I’m already excited to see the people and projects being nominated for the awards. In this age of uncertainty it’s so uplifting to hear about the wondrous things proactive people are doing.”
Nominations are submitted via a short online application form and the deadline for applications is Sunday 30 June 2019.
The Awards are sponsored by Avison Young, DEFRA, Fields in Trust, Firmdale Hotels, M&S and Tesco and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Please get in touch for further information.
Notes to Editors
For further information, please email or call 0121- 237-5815.
