Nominations for new Community Awards now open

Anyone can nominate voluntary and community groups, charities, volunteers, individuals, or partnerships for specific awards to recognise and thank them publicly under the council’s new Community Awards scheme. 

Award categories are: Volunteer of the Year; Voluntary and Community Group of the Year; Young Person of the Year (11-18 and 19-25) and Special Recognition Award for an individual who has made a significant, long-term contribution to their community. 

The awards event will also incorporate a presentation of the Citizenship Cup by the Harborough Civic Society. 

The first awards event will take place on 5 December 2024 and will be held in the Council Chamber in the council offices in Market Harborough. Future events will be rotated around different venues across the district and could be bigger, with business sponsorship being a potential source of income to cover some of the cost of the event itself. 

Cllr Knowles, Leader of Harborough District Council, said: “These new awards will be a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the valuable work that takes place around the district and sometimes goes unnoticed. I’m delighted that the nominations for these awards are now open and I encourage people across the district to take a look at the criteria and nominate someone or a group they think deserves to be recognised.” 

John Tillotson, Chair of Harborough Civic Society said: “Following really positive discussions with the council I am delighted to announce that the Citizenship Cup will form part of the annual Harborough District Community Awards. The Cup has a long and important history and is held in high esteem by its recipients so it feels timely and appropriate for the future that it now forms part of this very welcome and exciting new Community Awards.” 

The Citizenship Cup was donated anonymously to the council in 1955 on the Diamond Jubilee of the Market Harborough Urban District Council with the intention of being awarded from time to time to individuals or organised groups of individuals in recognition of outstanding achievement enhancing the reputation of or reflecting credit on Market Harborough, and for distinguished service rendered in the interests of the town. 

The cup has been looked after by Harborough Museum since 1991 and is part of the displays located on the first floor of The Symington Building in Market Harborough. 

Details of the individual awards and criteria and how to nominate an individual or group are available on the council’s website at: www.harborough.gov.uk/communityawards24