Tuesday 26 November 2019

Don’t let your community heroes go unrecognised

Time is running out to nominate people in Bath and North East Somerset who make an exceptional contribution to the community for a prestigious award.
The deadline for nominations for this year’s Community Awards is on 20 December and the council is encouraging people to put forward the volunteers, charities, carers, community leaders, staff and businesses in their community who might have been unsung heroes until now.
There are many people and organisations across Bath and North East Somerset who work tirelessly for the benefit of the community to improve people’s lives, whose initiatives the Community Awards seek to recognise and champion.
New for this year are awards for Charity of the Year, Foster Carer of the Year and Green Business of the Year. The Volunteer Leader of the Year Award has been renamed ‘The Beryl Dixon Community Leader of the Year Award’, in honour of Beryl Dixon, a well-respected advocate for the BME community who sadly died in 2017.
Films about three of last year’s winners are taking shape and will be shown at this year’s awards ceremony in February. Bath City Farm, the Guide Dogs for the Blind and Bath Ethnic Minority Senior Citizens Association (BEMSCA) are having their achievements highlighted in a short film that will be theirs to keep after the ceremony.
This year’s awards categories are:

Category 1: Volunteering
Volunteer of the Year  / Young Volunteer of the Year (25 and Under)
Volunteer Team of the Year / Young Volunteer Team of the Year (25 and Under)
The Peter Duppa-Miller Lifetime Achievement / Young Volunteer Leader of the Year (25 and Under)

Category 2: Charities
Charity of the Year
The Beryl Dixon Community Leader of the Year

Category 3: Carers
Carer of the Year / Young Carer of the Year (25 and Under)
B&NES Foster Carer of the Year

Category 4: Business
Business in the Community
Green Business Leader of the Year

Category 5: Services to the community
Above and Beyond Employee of the Year (partner organisations only)
Above and Beyond Employee Team of the Year (partner organisations only)
Employee Long Service Award (partner organisations only)

Residents, staff, councillors, businesses, organisations and groups, teachers, and volunteers from Bath and North East Somerset can nominate people or organisations for an award. Nomination forms must be returned by no later than 20th December.
People can nominate online by visiting: www.bathnes.gov.uk/communityawards
Nomination forms can also be downloaded and posted, clearly marked ‘The Community Awards 2019/2020’, to: The Community Awards 2019/20, c/o Chief Executive  Office, Partnerships and Corporate Services, Bath & North East Somerset Council, The Guildhall, High Street, Bath, BA1 5AW.
Everyone nominated for an award will be presented with a certificate in recognition of their contribution and invited along to the Awards in the Assembly Rooms in Bath on 25 February 2020. The winners of each category will receive a certificate and will be presented with a personalised Bath Aqua Glass Award at the event.
The Community Awards are organised in partnership with B&NES Clinical Commissioning Group, CURO, Sirona Care and Health, B&NES Virgin Care, Student Community Partnership, Bath College and a new partner for this year, 3SG.