Community Awards 2026
The 2026 Community Awards are now open for nominations!
The Council’s Community Awards recognise and celebrate the contribution and achievements of individual volunteers and voluntary sector organisations that serve Blaby District. We are excited to announce that this year we have introduced another new category: the Chair’s Long Service Volunteer Award. So, there are five categories this year:
This award is for a person who has given up their time to help others. They have made a difference to their community, club or group or have dedicated themselves to improving the environment in Blaby District.
This award is for a young person who has given up their time to help others. They have made a difference to their community, club or group or have dedicated themselves to improving the environment in Blaby District.
This award is for someone of any age who has given up their time to contribute to delivering sport and/or physical activity in the community thereby having a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of others.
This award is for someone who has given 25 years or more to the local community as a volunteer.
For a community group or organisation that has improved the quality of life for residents within the District of Blaby. The award honours the achievement within the group’s community and the difference they make to local residents.
Entry criteria:
- Nominations will not be accepted for any individuals or groups who were winners or runners-up in any of the categories in 2024 or 2025
- Employees of Blaby District Council and Council Members may not be nominated
- Nominations will not be considered if the nomination relates mainly to the individual’s paid employment
- Nominations for categories A, B, C and D should either live, work or study in the district or their actions should be of direct benefit to the district
- Nominations for category B should be under 18 years of age (or under 25 if the young person has special educational needs and/or a disability)
- Nominations for category C can be any age
- Nominations for category E must be a voluntary or community sector group or organisation based within Blaby District or one that directly benefits residents of the district, with a formal constitution or governing document
If you know an individual or group that you feel deserves recognition, please complete the online nomination form using the button below. When making your nomination, please include enough information to explain why your nominee deserves an award. Remember - this is the only information the panel and voters will have to make their decision. The closing date for receipt of all entries is midnight on Sunday 8 November 2026
Alternatively, you can request a Word version or hard copy of the nomination form by emailing vcshub@blaby.gov.uk Please return your completed nomination form by the closing date either by email to the address above or by post to: Community Business Work and Skills Team, Blaby District Council, Desford Road, Narborough LE19 2EP.
Selection of finalists
- A judging panel will decide the winners and runners-up in the individual volunteer categories
- The winner and runner-up in the Community Group of the Year category will be decided this year through a combination of both a public vote and the judging panel. The voting period will open on Thursday 12 November and close at midday on 9 December 2026. You will be able to vote online on this webpage or by post. See below for more information about how the combined vote will work
- All finalists will be contacted by Monday 4 January 2027. If you have not heard by this date, unfortunately this means that you have not been shortlisted
- The decisions reached will be final and no correspondence will be entered into
- Finalists, or their representatives, will need to attend an awards evening on Thursday 28 January 2027
This year’s winner and runner-up in the Community Group of the Year category will be decided by a combined public vote and panel decision. The public will be able to vote for their favourite group during the voting period.
Without knowing the results of the public vote, the judging panel will collectively decide on the top three or five groups they feel deserve the award. This will become the ‘shortlist’.
The number of nominated groups on the shortlist will be determined by the number of overall nominations in this category. For example, if ten or fewer groups are nominated, the shortlist will be made up of three groups. If more than ten groups are nominated, the shortlist will be made up of five groups.
The public vote is then used to determine the winner and runner-up from those groups that make up the shortlist. The winner will be the group from the panel’s shortlist that received the highest number of public votes, and the runner-up will be the group from the panel’s shortlist that received the second highest number of public votes.
Prizes
- The winners in categories A, B, C and D will each receive £100
- The runners-up in categories A, B, C and D will each receive £50
- The winning group in category E will win £1000
- The runner-up group in category E will win £500
Winners and runners-up in categories A, B, C and D will also be given the opportunity to nominate a local community group/organisation to receive £750 (winner) and £500 (runner-up). As above the nominated group/organisation must be a voluntary or community sector group or organisation based within Blaby District or one that directly benefits residents of the district, with a formal constitution or governing document.
Sponsors and supporters
We would like to acknowledge and thank all our generous sponsors and supporters for funding this year's Community Awards:
- Everyone Active is sponsoring the individual Sport and Physical Activity Volunteer of the Year prizes as well as costs related to running the awards ceremony
- Winvic is sponsoring the individual Volunteer of the Year prize as well as costs related to running the awards ceremony
- Navigator Tissue is sponsoring costs related to running the awards ceremony
- Central Co-op is supporting the individual Young Volunteer of the Year prizes as well as costs related to running the awards ceremony
- Blaby District Council is sponsoring the individual Chair’s Long Service Volunteer prizes
- All group prizes are funded by proceeds from the Love Blaby Lottery's Blaby District Community Fund so a big thank you also to our lottery supporters