Through our Community Volunteer Awards, we aim to reward individuals and organisations for the great work you do in and around Blackburn with Darwen.
The Community Volunteer Awards are a partnership between Blackburn with Darwen Council and Community CVS.
Community Volunteer Awards 2026
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Community Volunteer Awards – the deadline this year is 5pm on Friday 14th August.
In total, we are seeking nominations for fourteen Awards. These take the form of Individual and Group Awards across six categories based on the 6Ps: –
- People (young people; older people; people experiencing multiple disadvantage; carers; people with disabilities and long term conditions; members of minority groups)
- Prosperity (employment; enterprise; eradicating poverty; growing civil society organisations)
- Planet (mobilising people, communities and the VCFSE; climate change; parks, open spaces and the natural world; recycling, reuse, repair and circular economy)
- Peace (community cohesion; community safety, resilience and security; individuals impacted by domestic abuse)
- Place (any neighbourhoods, especially deprived areas; heritage and culture; housing and homelessness)
- Participation (arts & culture; digital inclusion; heritage; physical activity, recreation and sport)
In addition to these, we are also seeking nominations for two special Awards in the following categories: –
- Young Persons Award (for outstanding volunteers under the age of 25)
- Lifetime Achievement Award (for those with a track record 20 years or more years’ volunteering excellence)
Nominations for the Young Persons and Lifetime Achievement Awards are in addition to the volunteer being nominated in one or more of the main categories listed above.
You can also request nomination forms from Community CVS at the Community Hub on Railway Road in Blackburn or contact Donna Talbot via or donna.talbot@communitycvs.org.uk.
The 2026 Community Volunteer Awards celebration will be returning to King George’s Hall in Blackburn on Thursday 5th November, hosted by BBC Radio Lancashire’s Graham Liver.
Community Volunteer Awards 2025
2025 saw the categories consolidated to reflect the “6Ps” and the celebration event will be taking place at Ewood Park on Thursday 6th November.
2025 Finalists (winners in bold)
| People | |
|---|---|
| Individual | Group |
| William Morrison (Creative Football) Peter Bond (Northwest Ambulance Service) Neil Shorrock (Royal British Legion) |
No.1 Coffee Shop BwD, Hyndburn & Ribble Valley Samaritans BwD First Responders |
| Prosperity | |
| Individual | Group |
| Marguerite Webb (Child Action Northwest) Benedict Gavin (Community CVS) David Garth (Spark) |
Shelter Volunteers St. James’ Ash Grove Community Centre Rummage Rescuers |
| Planet | |
| Individual | Group |
| Robert Wensley (Revidge Allotment Association) Chloe Dunne (Rummage Rescuers) Betty Mossop (Shorey Bank Darwen) |
Corporation Park Community Garden Bank Top Community Garden Rummage Rescuers |
| Peace | |
| Individual | Group |
| Sally (The Wish Centre) Robert Wensley (Revidge Allotment Association) Nicola Holden (Spark) |
Blackburn Rovers Community Trust Community Harmony Project BwD, Hyndburn & Ribble Valley Samaritans |
| Place | |
| Individual | Group |
| John Gettins (Shelter) Christine Robinson (Grace Pentecostal Church) Daniel Bates (No.1 Coffee Shop) |
Bank Top Community Garden Friends of Darwen Cemetery Blackburn Vineyard Children’s Storehouse |
| Participation | |
| Individual | Group |
| Peter Scott (Darwen Tennis Club) Susie Veevers (Immanuel Feniscowles Scout Group) Mark Emery (Darwen Cricket Club) |
Friends of Darwen Cemetery Veterans Living History Museum CIC S.A.S. Rights CIC |
| CVS Special Award for Outstanding Service | |
| Derek Estill (Interfaith Forum) | |
| Young Person Award | Lifetime Achievement |
| Maariyah Dudwala (Citizens Advice Witness Service) Carmen (East Lancashire Hospice) Sophie Homer (National Festival of Making) |
Christine Robinson Yaqoob Hussain MBE Daniel Cavallo |
| Volunteer of the Year | Group of the Year |
| Tony Hopwood | Blackburn Empire Theatre Group |
We are deeply grateful to all of our sponsors, without whom the Community Volunteer Awards would not be possible: –
Community Volunteer Awards 2024
Well over a thousand nominations were received for 2024’s iteration of the Community Volunteer Awards, meaning that difficult choices had to be made. The Awards, as ever, features some fantastic winners and finalists: –
| Award | Winner | Finalists |
|---|---|---|
| Health & Wellbeing – Individual sponsored by BwD Carers Service |
Sahil Usman | Shaheen Elahi Barbara Leyland |
| Health & Wellbeing Award – Group sponsored by Chubb |
Blackburn Foodbank | Community First Responders Shad Chefs Woman Hub |
| Prosperity, Learning & Employment Award – Invidivual sponsored by UCO |
Sandy Woods | Bev Ormerod Fizza Zafal |
| Prosperity, Learning & Employment Award – Group sponsored by Rhodar |
Offload Northwest | Neurodynamix Phoenix Hub |
| Grassroots Community Action Award – Individual sponsored by Blackburn Rovers |
Samantha Nye | Vicky Kelly Pamela Ward |
| Grassroots Community Action Award – Group sponsored by East Lancs Hospice |
Roots Community | BwD Carers Respite Group Friends of Infirmary |
| Young People’s Award – Individual sponsored by Chip in |
Emma Evans | Lucie Brown Fizza Zafar |
| Young People’s Award – Group sponsored by Blackburn College |
Blackburn Youth Darts Academy | Children’s Storehouse St. George’s Mill Hill Scout Group – Canalside Activity Centre |
| Renee Black Award sponsored by BwD Interfaith Forum |
Neurodynamix | Aid4Ummah Offload Northwest |
| Environment Award – Individual sponsored by Suez |
Wayne Dixon | Angela Gatehouse Betty Mossop |
| Environment Award – Group sponsored by Newground Together/Blackburn BID |
Little Potting Club | Cherry Tree Library Apiary Keep Blackburn Tidy |
| Culture, Leisure & Sporting Life Award – Individual sponsored by PM&M |
Keith Brunt | Sliding Doors Young People’s Committee Chris Walton |
| Culture, Leisure & Sporting Life Award – Group sponsored by Active Lancashire |
Mill Hill Events Committee | Arts2Heal SAS Rights |
| Lindsay Dunn Award – Individual sponsored by Age UK BwD |
Muaaz Nadat | Bev Ormerod Sahil Usman |
| Lindsay Dunn Award – Group sponsored by Spark |
Phoenix Hub | Offload Northwest Voice |
| CVS Special Award | Chris Seddon | |
| Community Involvement Award sponsored by WEPA |
Darwen Community Helpers | Children’s Storehouse Phoenix Hub |
| Good Neighbour Award sponsored by BwD BC |
Vicky Kelly | Charlotte Leaver Bev Ormerod |
| Volunteer of the Year Award sponsored by East Lancs Deaf Village |
Richard Croasdale | Keith Brunt Pat Foster |
| Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by BwD BC |
Judith Houghton | Ian Hamer Vera Green |
Community Volunteer Awards 2023
We had a fantastic response to our call for nominations last year, with over 700 nominations. We are deeply grateful to everyone who took the time to nominate their community heroes, the delegates who attended on Thursday 7th September to decide the list of winners and finalists – and, most of all, to everyone who was nominated for their brilliant work, enhancing and enriching all of our communities.
Community Volunteer Awards 2022
2022’s award ceremony took place on Thursday 3rd November at King George’s Hall.
Last update: Monday 8th June 2026