Awards

Recognising Outstanding Community Service

Have you ever thought of nominating a group or a volunteer for and award, so that their selfless work is recognised in the wider community.

Individuals

Ampthill's Roll of Honour

Recepents of the Ampthill Roll of Honour

  • Miss Lily Grimmer
  • Mr Andrew Underwood
  • Mr Richard 'Hector' Chappell

Look out for the invitation to nominate for the Ampthill Roll of Honour in Around the Pump

Ampthill Town Council invites nominations every year to be considered for inclusion on the "Ampthill Roll of Honour". Nominees will be recognised for their outstanding contribution to the community of Ampthill, but will not be accepted if the candidate has been nominated solely for their political activities. Recommendations for admittance to the "Roll of Honour" should be supported by at least one other testimonial which should not be from a family member. Nomination forms will be available from the Town Council office at 66 Dunstable Street, and as much information as possible is to be included. Completed forms should be returned marked "Private and Confidential" to the Town Clerk. Up to a maximum of three awards may be given each year and will be presented at the annual Civic Service.

Should you wish to discuss the "Roll of Honour" before submitting a nomination please do not hesitate to contact the Town Clerk on 01525 404355.

CBE, MBE or OBE

Do you know of someone who is deserving of a CBE, MBE or OBE? Well why not nominate them now!

In the United Kingdom, honours are awarded twice a year, in June and at the New Year; about 1,500 awards each time. Most are made in the Order of the British Empire with some 15% at the highest levels (CBE and above). By far the largest number of awards goes to those providing services to their local communities, mainly volunteers. Individuals may be nominated for an honour by anyone, and we encourage neighbours, work colleagues etc to put forward those they admire for their achievements. (Self-nominations are rare, and will not succeed without independent validation.) Nominations must be made on the form designed for this purpose. Recipients are invited to attend an Investiture at Buckingham Palace or other regional locations to receive their award from The Queen or other senior members of the Royal Family.

Making a nomination could not be easier, with further information and nomination forms available from:

The Ceremonial Secretariat
Cabinet Office
35 Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BQ

Tel. No.: 020 7276 2777 Fax No.: 020 7276 2766
Email: ceremonial@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
or via www.honours.gov.uk

Candidates may be nominated by anyone - neighbours, colleagues, friends put forward those whose achievements they admire. Nominees do not always get through at a first attempt. They may fail at the first hurdle if their achievements are not clear, or simply are listed as positions held over the years. Even if that does not apply it sometimes takes more than one round for an individual to be successful.

You may not know everything that is necessary for a citation form. It is reasonable to ask other people for additional information about the candidate. However all enquiries should be made in strict confidence - do not consult the nominee.

Bedfordshire Youth Volunteering Certificate

Do you work with young people, aged 13-25, who give up their free time to volunteer? Do you know about the Youth Volunteering Certificate?

A Youth Volunteering Certificate, designed by young people for young people, as an acknowledgement for the valuable work young volunteers undertake, is now available. The certificate, which is FREE of charge for organisations to present to their young volunteers, has been produced in partnership with Mid Beds District Council, Bedford Borough Council, Youth Action Bedfordshire, Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity, Pilgrims Housing Association and Bedford Volunteer Bureau. Universities accept volunteering experience as a valuable skill and 75% of employers now look for volunteer experience on CVs. Young people can use the Youth Volunteering Certificate as evidence of their involvement, as well as a reminder of what skills have been developed through volunteering.

For more information or to order certificates, please contact Richard Denton of the Youth Volunteering Certificate Group on 01234 221929 or email rdenton@bedford.gov.uk 

Voluntary & Community Groups 

Queen's Award for Voluntary Service by Groups in the Community

Her Majesty The Queen announced on 30th April 2002 the creation of a new, annual Award to mark the occasion of her Golden Jubilee. This has now become an annual award.  

The Award recognises the vital role played by the hundreds of thousands of 'unsung heroes' of the voluntary and community world and emphasises the importance of continuing recognition of their work.  

The Award covers groups operating in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

The number of Awards made each year will be determined by the number and quality of nominations received. Awards are made to groups rather than to individuals.

It's easy to nominate!

Guardian Charity Awards

Smaller charities are too often overshadowed by the big players, the premier league. Even though small is very often beautiful in terms of innovation, flexibility and reach into communities, it's invariably the multi-million-pound household names of the voluntary sector that grab the limelight.

The Guardian Charity Awards seek to redress that. The awards have showcased excellence among small and medium-sized charities and given a much-needed boost to organisations struggling to get profile and funding to enable them to move forward. To the big players, the message is simple: these are one set of awards you cannot win, because you cannot enter.

Aimed at small and medium-sized charities, the awards offer a leg-up to organisations that are delivering practical solutions to present-day problems. As long as the objective is improving social wellbeing in its broadest sense, and provided other entry criteria are met, nothing is ruled out. Will you rule yourself in?

The awards are £6,000 and a brand new PC for each of the five winners

Visit the Society Guardian Website for ore details  

The Charity Awards

The Charity Awards are a unique programme designed to recognise and celebrate excellence in leadership and management of charities.

Open to charities throughout the UK, the Charity Awards highlights charities achievements and draw attention to the talent and expertise being brought to bear on voluntary activity in the UK.

The Charity Awards are decided by an independent panel of judges, all highly respected for their expertise in charities and management. The judges will be looking for examples of excellence which will inspire others and from which other organisations can learn. 

Entry to the Charity Awards is free and nominations are welcome from charities of all size. Fore more information or to download a form, please visit: www.charityawards.co.uk or contact: The Charity Awards, 3 Rectory Grove, London, SW4 0SX. Tel: 020 7819 1200. E-mail: info@charityawards.co.uk