“Very successful awards event. Thoroughly enjoyed seeing those doing great work being recognised.”

“Well done on the organisation”

“Everyone was thoroughly thrilled to receive the award and thoroughly enjoyed the evening”

“Fantastic night everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly”

“Truly it was one of the best awards ceremonies I have attended to date”

“Venue was beautiful.  Looked like arriving at BAFTA’s / OSCARS…just red carpet missing and ALIAS’s.”

“Decoration was stunning.”

“Entertainment was lovely.  Seeing and hearing such confident kids singing was the highlight of the evening. Bo Jangles were brilliant too.”

“Thank you for inviting me. It was amazing to actually win an award, I don’t think I’ve have ever won anything in my life before, I had a great night”

“Venue, food, deco and entertainment was great well done”

“The 2019 Community Volunteer Awards held in King George’s Hall was a fantastic event.  It was extremely well organised, and the presentation and delivery were second to none.  It was also a great opportunity for like-minded people to get together and chat about their volunteering roles and enjoy each other’s company”

“We enjoyed the evening dearly and thought the room and tables were set out beautifully. The event was very professional and the food was lovely and everyone was catered for.”

“The only thing we would probably say that could have been better was if we had another jug of water on the table as we ran out, but that is a minor thing.”

“We were a little disappointed with not winning on the evening but I know it was a difficult decision for the panel to make. We did however work out that which group or individual’s photo was shown on the big screen first was the winner of the category, so when ours wasn’t put up first we knew then we hadn’t won.”

“We are however, extremely humbled to have received so many nominations in the first placed and proud to have made it to the final, which means we are doing something right and the hard work is paying off.”

“I hope the feedback helps and I’d like to personally thank you for your hard work in which you put in to the evening.

“the venue was good.”

“Parking was a little unclear as some volunteers had to move their cars.”

“The entertainment provided by Blackburn Youth Zone was great. However, the performance by Bojangles was too loud and people struggled to have conversations during the break.”

“The food was okay, but it would have been nice if it was clearly labelled when placed on the table.”

“Feedback from me: Fantastic venue, great food, entertainment was amazing, truly inspiring night – Thank you!”

“Thank you so much! We were absolutely delighted to have won a hattrick.”

“The event was fantastic well done!”

“I feel fantastic and great about the winning and to be recognised for what we are doing.”

“The event was brilliant, venue super suitable and a nice place, deco was great. I really really liked the food and entertainment was really good. I like the chap who presented it from radio Lancashire, he did a great job.”

“The only thing I would say our water and orange jugs were not topped up …as we fell short towards the end.”

“It was an amazing feeling to win the group award for Prosperity, Learning and Employment for our LPA project.  There has been a lot of teamwork involved in order to get the project to take off and to be recognised for our hard work was truly uplifting.  It was a privilege to be invited to the event and see so many deserving volunteers celebrating our achievements together. It is humbling to know that there are so many people in our borough who give up their own time to help their fellow citizens. I look forward to next year’s event!”

“This was my first time at the Community Awards. I thought the night was amazing.”

“The venue was set out well and decorated and made the Carers Service volunteers feel important and part of a prestige event.”

“I was overwhelmed that we had won three awards and was really proud of our volunteers. They came to the AGM that week and showed everyone their awards.”

“Thank you for giving us the opportunity to show case the wonderful work the Carers Service Volunteers do. We couldn’t manage without their support!”

“The event was well planned and the night ran smoothly.”

“It was a good idea to serve food half way through the evening. I attended a volunteer event earlier in the year and the event went on forever and food wasn’t served until the end. It was a long time to wait to eat. Your timings were spot on.”

“The master of ceremonies was good – Brett brought a mixture of humour and seriousness. He kept the event going.”

“There seemed to be the right number of nominees for the different categories”

“I did feel that perhaps people/groups should have only been nominated once, giving others a chance of being nominated and only winning once. I was aware that two of our nominees were nominated twice, as lovely as it would be to win twice, the other side is that you could potentially have the same person or group winning twice and others not winning at all.”

“We were fortunate that all our nominees won”

“The food was just right. A good mixture of foods for everyone, and there was plenty. My gluten free option was great, I had the same as everyone else and didn’t stand out like I usually do!”

“The entertainment was really good. I enjoyed the little ones and the band was great.”

“My only regret was that I didn’t contribute financially to the event, I will try our best next year and then out logo could be shared on the PowerPoint.”

“Well done Donna, the event was a credit to you.”

“VOICE volunteers expressed feeling delighted at their work being recognised by the wider community. Some said they didn’t think anyone but the homeless noticed what we do, so it made them feel appreciated, valued and extremely proud.”

“VOICE volunteers said how grand the venue was also made them feel truly valued as they could tell money had been spent on showing them they are appreciated. Most volunteers thought the food provided was great, although two commented they would have liked more of it. It was appreciated that all diets were catered for. One volunteer said he preferred the food at the event in the previous year. A lot of volunteers said they would have also liked chips. They all made positive comments about the entertainment, the acts from youth zone were beautiful. The way the venue was decorated with balloons and the confetti was beautiful, volunteers commented they loved the gold colour scheme.”

“VOICE volunteers wanted to say thank you very much for putting on such a posh event for volunteers. It was also enjoyable to hear what other amazing work goes on in Blackburn with Darwen. It was also nice to have a lovely evening out together which cost them very little.”

“What a great night it was with the entertainment, venue and deco, it was hattrick win for our service.”

“Just one point I would like to mention was, we had empty jugs on our table and we couldn’t find the waiters to ask for more but all in all a perfect night”

“The volunteers were very excited and pleased to win. They couldn’t believe it. They are a very modest bunch and hadn’t expected to win – they are still texting, tweeting and talking about over a week later!”

“The whole event was well organised; the tables and décor were beautiful.  Food was lovely (although it would be good to serve it a little earlier) and entertainment fab.  All the staff were helpful and friendly, nothing was too much trouble.  Felt like a red-carpet event – well done!”

“It was an amazing experience, fantastic recognition of the hard work, dedication and commitment our volunteers and a whole host of other volunteers across the Borough give.”

“Our Centre is very grateful to the Community CVS for recognising our contribution to the local community in Blackburn & Darwen. We will continue our efforts to improve the lives of those who cannot help themselves and extend our support where needed.”

“Do keep up the good work.”

“One volunteer had attended the LVP lunch at Hutton and commented that the Preston event ‘had nothing’ on the KGH awards.”

“Another stated they felt the awards paid tribute to all volunteers and that no one was left out.”

“In terms of scheduling, Monday evening was a problem for libraries in that we open late at 4 out of 5 service points and also run some evening activities in those venues.   Outside of libraries Monday evening seemed to be a busy time in general – Bowling Club, Camera Club etc.  some many of our volunteers told us that they would have liked to attend but were committed elsewhere.”

“Some volunteers who declined the awards invitation said they didn’t like to go out / go into the town centre in an evening – felt unsafe.  It’s difficult to suit everyone.”

“Monday was a fabulous event. Thank you for our invites ”

“Awesome night, huge well done you created a fantastic event”

“What an amazing night…”

“I would like to say “Well done” to the organisers; for all the hard-work and a thank you to the Sponsors.”

“Wonderful community event”

“It’s been amazing being a judge for the volunteer’s award 2019 and even more fantastic watching the worthy winners tonight at King Georges Hall”

“Oh, what a night!”

“I would like to say a Congratulations and Well done for organising a wonderful evening”

“This makes a real difference, motivates and empowers the smaller groups and volunteers in our town”

“it was lovely to hear and recognise the wide-ranging fantastic work that volunteers do every day in the Borough, without whom so many vital services would stop. It was a lovely event to Thank all volunteers.”

“Well Done Donna and the team, a very well organised event!”

“We just want to say a massive thank you to you for an absolutely brilliant evening”

“Thank you again for all your efforts, it was awesome.”

“it was organised so well and it was great to be part of something so close to my heart celebrating those unsung heroes without their commitment and dedication we could not do the work we do”

“Well Done for putting on a fantastic event, really enjoyed it.”

“On behalf of everyone connected with Mill Hill Community football club we would like to pass on our congratulations to everyone involved in the organisation of Blackburn with Darwen Community awards evening it was a fantastic evening all made possible by the hard work of yourself and the Community awards team it really is appreciated by all the hard-working volunteers throughout the Borough. Once again, our grateful thanks.”

“Just wanted to send a quick email saying thank you for the opportunity and for giving me the chance to meet all of the amazing volunteers there”

“Just wanted to drop you a line following the very successful awards event. Thoroughly enjoyed seeing those doing great work being recognised”

“Well done on the organisation”

“Thank you for inviting me. it was amazing to actually win an award. I don’t think I’ve have ever won anything in my life before. I had a great night.”

“Fantastic night everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly thanks again Donna”

“well done to you for all your effort and hard work putting it all together bravo”

“Firstly, let me personally congratulate you from the bottom of my heart how brilliantly and fabulously you organised, coordinated, facilitated and put on such a fantastic and glamorous awards ceremony.  Truly it was one of the best awards ceremonies I have attended to date”

“Entertainment was lovely.  Seeing and hearing such confident kids singing was the highlight of the evening. Bo Jangles were brilliant too.

“Venue, food, deco and entertainment was great well done”

“The 2019 Community Volunteer Awards held in King George’s Hall was a fantastic event.  It was extremely well organised, and the presentation and delivery were second to none.  It was also a great opportunity for like-minded people to get together and chat about their volunteering roles and enjoy each other’s company.”

“We were both surprised and delighted to learn we had been shortlisted for the awards and we are delighted that our work with the hungry and homeless people in Blackburn with Darwen has been recognised. We had a great evening and the icing on the cake was certainly when we carried off all three categories for which we’d been nominated.”

“We’d like to thank Blackburn with Darwen Council and Community CVS for giving us the opportunity to showcase what we do at Community Spirit and hopefully, highlight the difficulties experienced by those facing a food poverty crisis.”

“The venue was great, although we sometimes struggled to see the stage and people on it due to balloons, maybe have smaller table decorations next year.”

“The food was lovely, the entertainment maybe dragged on a little-as most of us had been at work all day we could have done without 30 minutes of entertainment at the start, although Blow jangles during the food was great and very enjoyable – maybe just have the entertainment on during food next time.”

“it was noticed pretty close to the start that the order the nominees were read out in, the first person/group to be read out was the winner, which prevented the suspense and anticipation of when the winner was announced.”

“The venue looked beautiful, the food served was delicious and plentiful, the entertainment was fabulous!”

“The planning, organisation, service, display and food were all perfect and well arranged. Only people left while the musical band was on the stage, the word of the CVS chair should be the last piece of the programme, so people would stay till the last minute of the event.”

“The decisions about the winning individuals/groups was fair and those who won deserve this recognition, myself and my guests feel very positive about that.”

“In future events you could prepare some budgets to make a video for each nominee (individual or group) and the roles /activities and their impact on the community, so that people can have a full picture plus people can also have a say on who is the real winner and why?”

“Thank you again and wish you all the best in future events”

“Winning the award was amazing, especially among all the great charities and humbling volunteers. The entertainment was brilliant with the children from Youth Zone and the band, the food was excellent as was the company, everyone really enjoyed themselves, it was a brilliant night.”

“It was a fabulous night celebrating a fabulous bunch of people. I really enjoyed seeing people from all walks of life under one roof and seeing all the hard work they do for the people of Blackburn with Darwen.”

“We had an amazing night, thank you so much for having us. Beautiful venue and the company, it was nice to catch up with friends, thank you again.”

“Last night was great, its great seeing all the good people do…feel very honoured and humbled.”

“I am over the moon on winning the Health & Wellbeing award. It gives the volunteers the recognition they so rightly deserve. Bringing everyone together at one event, highlights the wonderful work that goes on in the borough, but also for me, highlighted the need of having this type of event too.”

“It was a very well organised, you did a fab job Donna  “

“I thought the event was brilliant, I really enjoyed the evening and getting to meet some very interesting people.”

“The venue was perfect as it was easy parking and felt very grand. I loved the entertainment, I can’t believe how brave the kids were”

“The only suggestions I have is maybe mixing the finalists names up when they are being announced as we knew who had won before the winner was announced and maybe taking the group photo at the very end, I noticed people started leaving at that point before the chair of community CVS had spoken.”

“Thank you for arranging a wonderful event”

“I thought it was a great event we all really enjoyed it. The room looked great, the entertainment was fantastic, and I thought the programme was a great touch and gave information about the work of the individuals”

“Felt very proud at winning. The venue was very impressive and the room looked special like a big effort had gone into making people feel valued for their contribution to volunteering. I liked the way the winners were announced, but thought the speeches by Brett Davidson and the leader were a bit long winded. The food seemed a bit sparse. The whole thing made me think that I should do more volunteering.”

“It was a surprise, but fantastic to win. The venue was great. Central for everyone. Nice to have food and drinks at the table. The table settings and decorations made things very swish.”

“It feels fantastic. I am so pleased that we all won. It was nice to be rewarded for all our hard work. The venue was great. The tables were set out really nicely and you could see a lot of effort had been made. The food looked very nice, although I had already eaten. I really enjoyed the evening overall.”

“I felt absolutely amazing about winning. The event was amazing and I think the night was absolutely fabulous. Great night in all.”

“All of the volunteers, including some who could not be there said how fantastic it made them feel to win. My feedback would be to congratulate you and your team for making it such a fantastic evening. It takes some organisation to pull it together, and the room and whole venue looked brilliant. I had spoken with the volunteers as they had asked me if thought they would win, and while I had no idea I said that they should look at the evening as a thank you for their efforts regardless of whether they win or not. To have won is really the icing on the cake. It really was a great event, and congratulations again to you.”

“I know these events are not easy to pull together, and recognise the amount of work put in, to make them a success, and trying to organise everyone can be difficult.  However, I received regular updates via email and phone calls, and was able to keep the volunteers up to date with timings of the event etc.”

“Feedback given to me about the event from our volunteers was they really enjoyed the evening.  It was well organised, there was a good atmosphere, and they felt they had been treated.  It was a chance to meet socially, catch up and share experiences with other volunteers.  Winning their category, was the icing on the cake.””

I think it is fantastic that the event recognised all of the volunteers in the borough, and it gave everyone a time to celebrate the work that is carried out by people who give up their free time to help others.  Most people volunteer their time not wanting any reward, but I think it is always nice to be recognised and thanked.  So, a big thank you to your sponsors, for recognising the importance of the work carried out by volunteers. Also, a big thank you to you, Donna, and your team for doing a great job.  Hope I can make the next one”