Nominations open for Shropshire community awards
Applications have opened for an awards scheme designed to showcase the very best of Shropshire communities.
Shropshire’s Outstanding Community Awards were first held last year with five winners named across four categories and all receiving a plaque, certificate and cash prize to be spent within their community.
The awards are organised by The Community Foundation and recognise the community spirit which is thriving across the county, along with all the hard work which goes in locally to make such a difference to people’s lives.
This year’s awards will focus on three categories which include small community or village; large community, village or town; community group or organisation.
In last year's awards Wellington jointly shared the best town award, while West Mercia Search and Rescue were also recognised.
Edgmond won best small village and Belle Vue and Coleham won best large village.
Jo Cooper, the foundation’s business development officer, said: “The awards are designed to showcase Shropshire’s communities, thriving and vibrant areas which deserve to be recognised and celebrated.
“Last year was the first time we staged the awards but with it taking place against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, celebrations were limited, so this feels a bit like our first year all over again and we are hoping as many communities as possible in Shropshire will take part.
“Communities came together and showed off the best of the best during Covid and should be applauded for that.
"This level of unity and desire to help others has continued as communities are doing their bit to prepare for the arrival of families from Ukraine as that crisis deepens.
“Local communities are also blessed with volunteers who are so important in running groups for young and elderly people, parents and babies who need support, youth clubs and a host of other local groups and organisations which come together to provide the events, contact, meetings and interaction so vital for so many in our communities.
“They are running services which help combat things like isolation and domestic violence, offer support to the homeless and unemployed and make such a difference in so many ways.
"Whatever a community is doing we would like people to apply for an Outstanding Community Award.”
To apply for an award people are asked to visit the shropshire.foundation/ website address.
