New award nominations open for unsung heroes in the Harborough communities

Nominations for the new Harborough District Community Awards, run by the district council, are 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 new 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 first awards event will take place on December 5 and will be held in the council chamber in the council offices.

Council leader Cllr Knowles 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.”

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

John Tillotson, chair of Harborough Civic Society, said: “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 to be 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.

Visit www.harborough.gov.uk/communityawards24 for details of the awards, criteria and how to nominate an individual or group.