Through our Community Volunteer Awards, we aim to reward individuals and organisations for the great work you do in and around Blackburn with Darwen.


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.