Groundwork community awards open for applications

Groundwork, a community charity, is asking the public to nominate community groups and leaders to receive a national award at an awards ceremony recognising community heroes who work to make their local areas better places to live. 

Now in its second year, the Groundwork Community Awards was launched by the charity 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.

This year’s awards are supported by the Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG).

Voting is done via an online system where community groups can highlight their own achievements or can nominate a project to receive an award in one of the following 10 categories:

• Best community group contribution to health and wellbeing.
• Best community group contribution to environmental sustainability.
• Best community group contribution to community cohesion.
• Best community group contribution to education or employment.
• Best community project on a social housing estate.
• Best community partnership with business.
• Best community garden or green space.
• Community leader of the year.
• Young community leader of the year.
• Community group of the year – all round achievement award.

Groundwork’s national chief executive, Graham Duxbury, said:

‘The response to the Community Awards last year was phenomenal.  We received over 250 inspirational applications about people who are doing extraordinary things where they live.

‘Their tireless work and commitment is the glue that helps to hold our society together.

‘We want to build on last year’s success and provide even more groups with a greater platform to engage and share ideas and to keep the momentum going in our communities.’

Jake Berry MP, under secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, said:

‘The community awards are a great way to recognise the time and effort individuals and groups put into helping improve their local areas.

‘This country is home to some fantastically civic-minded people and I would encourage as many community groups to enter as possible and see all of their hard work recognised.”

The deadline for nominations is 22 July.  Shortlisted community groups will be invited to attend a national awards ceremony at the House of Commons on the evening of 22 November.

For more information visit: www.grouwww.groundwork.org.uk/sites/communityawards