Harrogate and District Volunteering Oscars 2017: Nominate now

The 2017 Awards ceremony will take place on Friday, October 27 at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate from 7pm. The Awards Ceremony will be in the presence of Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for North Yorkshire, Mr Barry Dodd CBE. CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE The evening is a celebration of the work volunteers do in our community either as individuals or as a group. The Volunteering Oscars were created by Councillor John Fox in his Mayoral Year 2008/9 to recognise the wonderful work being undertaken by volunteers throughout the Harrogate District by such a diverse group of people of all ages involved in a wide range of activities. Coun Fox said: “To celebrate our 10th Anniversary, we are inviting other local voluntary groups in the Harrogate District who are also celebrating a special Anniversary to join the celebrations at the Awards Ceremony on Friday, October 27.” The Awards are supported by the Harrogate Advertiser, Knaresborough Post, Nidderdale Herald, Ripon Gazette and the Harrogate & Ripon Centre for Voluntary Service (HARCVS). Coun Fox added “I greatly appreciate the support given by the Harrogate Advertiser Series and HARCVS over the past 10 years. “We also have great support this year through sponsorship from Contract Natural Gas (CNG), Harrogate Town AFC, Covance, PPR Residential, Harrogate Christmas Market, Hopkinsons Estate Agents, Bluefin Insurance Services, Banks Community Fund, Stray FM, Pedalpower and Colour It In. “The event would not be possible without the tremendous support from David Ritson and his team at the Old Swan Hotel who have done a fantastic job of supporting us over the years.” The award is not dependent on the number of nominations a person or group receives. People nominating candidates may make several nominations in different categories. There are 16 categories: Young Volunteer of the Year - for any volunteer under 25 years of age. Care Volunteer of the Year - for any volunteer who has worked with and contributed towards a care based activity. Community Volunteer of the Year - for any volunteer who has worked with and contributed towards a community based activity. Environment Volunteer of the Year - for any volunteer who has contributed towards an activity to improve either the attractiveness of the local environment or the preservation of the natural environment. Sports Volunteer - for any volunteer who has worked with and contributed towards a sports based activity. Wildlife Volunteer - for any volunteer or group who has worked with and contributed towards local wildlife. Ackrill Media Group Unsung Heroes One Award will be given to any volunteer who has gone the extra mile in each of the four areas: Harrogate - sponsored by Harrogate Advertiser Knaresborough - sponsored by Knaresborough Post Ripon & Boroughbridge - sponsored by Ripon Gazette & Boroughbridge Herald Nidderdale - sponsored by Nidderdale Herald New Volunteer of the Year - for any person who has started volunteering within the last 12 months. Trustee of the Year - for the Trustee who demonstrates exceptionally sound decision making, and has provided ongoing support which allowed the charity to most effectively achieve its objectives within the last year. Organisation of the Year - for an organisation which has demonstrated best practice in Volunteer Management. Corporate Engagement Award - for any business or team who have taken part in a volunteering initiative over the past 12 months. Volunteer of the Year - for the volunteer who has given an extraordinary contribution to an organisation, its service users and fellow volunteers. This volunteer has gone those extra few miles. Lifetime Volunteer - for the volunteer who has given an extraordinary contribution to the organisation, its service users and fellow volunteers over a significant length of time. Unlike the other Awards, this recognises the contribution across a number of years rather than just the last 12 months. Coun Fox said: “I am really pleased that we are again able to celebrate the good work volunteers are doing across the Harrogate District. It makes our community a better place to live. Nominating an individual or group of volunteers could be your way of saying thank you to them for all their time and effort.”