COMMUNITY VOLUNTARY AWARDS
Thursday 05th November 2026, King George’s Hall, Blackburn
CHAIR’S CLOSING SPEECH
delivered by the Vice-Chair, Stuart Parker, 05th November 2026.
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, colleagues and friends.
As we come to the end of what has been a truly inspiring evening, I feel both privileged and humbled to stand before you as Chair of Community CVS.
Tonight, we have celebrated some extraordinary people and organisations. We have heard stories of dedication, sacrifice, kindness and determination.
But I want us to remember something.
Behind every award presented tonight, there is a story.
A story of someone who cared enough to make a difference.
Someone who gave their time when they could have been doing something else.
Someone who stood alongside a person when they felt they had nobody else.
Someone who saw a need in their community and, rather than walking away, decided to do something about it.
And perhaps most importantly, someone who never expected to be recognised for doing so.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is the true spirit of volunteering. And that is the true strength of our communities.
Tonight, we have rightly celebrated our winners. But I want to say something to every nominee and every individual and organisation represented in this room.
You do not need an award to prove your worth. The lives you have touched, the hope you have restored and the difference you have made are your greatest achievements.
Because somewhere in Blackburn with Darwen tonight, there is a family whose life is a little easier because of a volunteer.
There is a young person who believes in their future because somebody believed in them.
There is an older person who feels less alone because somebody took the time to care.
And there is someone who has found hope during their darkest moments because a community organisation refused to give up on them.
They may never know your name.
They may never stand on this stage to thank you.
But their lives are different because you were there.
And surely, there can be no greater achievement than that.
As Vice-Chair of Community CVS, I see the incredible value of our voluntary, community and faith sector.
We know the challenges are real. Funding is increasingly difficult to secure. The needs of our communities continue to grow. And too often, organisations are being asked to do more with less.
Yet, time and again, our volunteers and community organisations rise to those challenges.
Not because it is easy.
Not because there is always funding available.
But because they care. Because they believe. And because they refuse to leave people behind.
That is something we should never take for granted.
And as Vice-Chair, I want to make this commitment.
Community CVS must continue to stand alongside our sector, champion its contribution, strengthen its voice and ensure that the people and organisations making a difference are never forgotten or overlooked.
We must continue to build bridges, create opportunities and work together, because the challenges facing our communities are too important for any one organisation to tackle alone.
Our greatest strength has always been our ability to come together.
Before I close, I want to offer my sincere thanks to our sponsors, partners, judges, the Community CVS team and everyone who has worked so hard behind the scenes to make tonight possible.
Your support has helped us give recognition to people who so often put others before themselves.
And to our award winners and nominees, congratulations. You have every reason to feel proud tonight.
But I want to finish with a thought that I hope stays with us long after we leave this room.
We often talk about changing the world. But sometimes, changing the world begins with something very small.
A conversation.
A helping hand.
A few hours of your time.
A simple act of kindness.
Something that may seem insignificant to us, but means absolutely everything to someone else.
And when those small acts of kindness are repeated across our streets, neighbourhoods and communities, something extraordinary happens.
We create hope.
We build belonging.
We change lives.
And together, we create a Blackburn with Darwen where nobody should feel forgotten, nobody should feel invisible, and everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive.
So tonight, I ask you to leave this room with your heads held high.
Be proud of what you have achieved.
Be proud of the people you have helped.
And above all, never underestimate the power you have to make a difference.
Because the real heroes of our communities do not always wear medals, stand on stages or receive awards.
Sometimes, they are simply ordinary people doing extraordinary things, every single day.
And tonight, we honour every single one of you.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything you do.
May we continue to stand together, support one another and build a stronger, kinder and more compassionate Blackburn with Darwen.
Thank you, good night, and God bless you all.
Stuart Parker, Vice-Chair on behalf of Mohammed Tayyab Sidat, Chair Community CVS
05th November 2026
