July 6, 2022 3.14 pm This story is over 20 months old

Nominations open for NK Community Champion Awards

Nominations now open across 11 categories
The 2021 NK Community Champions Award winners and finalists. | Photo: Chris Vaughan Photography for NKDC

In this year of great celebration there’s a lot of voluntary community endeavour and many acts of thoughtful kindness to celebrate and champion through the NK Community Champion Awards.

With nominations now open across 11 categories, reflecting the many ways through which people, groups and businesses make a positive difference to life locally, there’s plenty of scope to ensure the very best expressions of community endeavour are applauded and awarded.

Nominations must be made by September 9, which gives two months to champion those volunteers and community-minded individuals who enhance our District by running sports clubs, showing consideration for others, making communities safer, enhancing the environment, pioneering climate action, being a good neighbour or making things better through their business.

And through all the Jubilee activities across our towns and villages there must be countless people who’ve shown great community spirit that you think are deserving of praise and recognition for making it all happen.

So who do you know, or who do you think is deserving of the biggest ‘thank you’ North Kesteven can express? Maybe get your nomination in while its fresh in your mind and before the distractions of the summer holidays.

Categories cover:

  • Community Business
  • Community Spirit (sponsored by Lindum Group)
  • Contribution to Arts & Culture (sponsored by Lincs Inspire)
  • Contribution to a Better Environment (sponsored by Hill Holt Wood)
  • Contribution to Climate Action (sponsored by Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant / Greencoat Capital)
  • Contribution to Community Safety (sponsored by the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire)
  • Contribution to Health & Wellbeing (sponsored by Branston Ltd)
  • Contribution to Sport (sponsored by GLL/ Better)
  • Good Neighbour (sponsored by Ringrose Law)
  • Longstanding Contribution to a Group or Organisation (sponsored by Lincolnshire Community Foundation)
  • Young Achiever (sponsored by Duncan & Toplis)

A celebration evening will take place at the Hub in Sleaford on November 16.

The 2021 NK Community Champions award winners. | Photo: Chris Vaughan Photography for NKDC

Although organised and operated by North Kesteven District Council, the awards are only possible through the generous sponsorship of a number of community-minded businesses. The awards’ strength and sincerity as a community-based celebration is rooted in both this and the fact that the nominations are all made by grateful recipients of the endeavour, care and consideration of people operating voluntarily, selflessly and tirelessly within the community, for the good and benefit of the community.

Council Leader Cllr Richard Wright said: “The Community Champion Awards are our small way of turning the spotlight on the selfless many who contribute so much to making our lives so much richer in North Kesteven.

“There is such a wealth of volunteering, caring, sharing and thoughtful acts within our communities as people sacrifice personal and family time in order to provide opportunities for and enrich the lives of others and that is what – through the nomination we receive – we want to celebrate.”

NK Community Champion Awards 2021. | Photo: Chris Vaughan Photography for NKDC

As individuals, groups, businesses, schools or organisations, this could be through:

  • Running a sports team or keeping pitches trim and kit washed;
  • Creating and providing artistic and cultural opportunities;
  • Promoting better health and wellbeing activities and outcomes;
  • Planting trees, picking litter or maintaining a more pleasant local environment;
  • Pioneering a bold and active response to cutting carbon or responding to climate change;
  • Looking out for and supporting neighbours in an hour of need or more systematically on a daily basis;
  • Promoting safer more cohesive communities;
  • Being a generally community-spirited person or organisation who initiates, co-ordinates or contributes to community life – maybe this year at the heart of the Jubilee celebrations;
  • Dedicating many years, if not decades, to the continuation and success of one group or another;
  • Running a business in a way which puts community consideration at the heart of its operations;
  • Being an inspiring, engaged, active or influential young person who contributes to community life or has excelled or achieved in some way. 

Nominations can be made at www.nkawards.org.