Spark proudly sponsored this year’s Community Volunteer Awards, an annual ceremony which celebrates the selfless contributions of local volunteers.
Hosted at King George’s Hall, the awards are arranged by Community CVS and Blackburn with Darwen Council, recognising the individuals and groups who work hard to make life better for others in the borough.
Claire Illingworth, Head of Operations for Spark, said: “At Spark we are passionate about volunteers with many employees entering the field as volunteers. I personally sat on the panel and enjoyed seeing the value volunteers not only bring to our service, but the whole of Blackburn with Darwen. The event supported Spark to acknowledge, celebrate and see the impact of our 21 active volunteers”.
Awards were up for grabs across 20 categories, including The Good Neighbour Award, Volunteer of the Year, an Environment Award, Grass Roots Community Award, and the Community Involvement Award to name a few.
Roots Community, part of the Spark recovery collaborative, won the Grass Roots Community Group Action Award. Since 2022, the group have been helping keep Blackburn tidy by hosting weekly litter picking groups, as well as planting a successful community garden on Byrom Street.
Councillor Phil Riley, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “Blackburn with Darwen is, and always has been, a borough that rises to all challenges together, and this is especially true of our community spirit.
“The Community Volunteer Awards embody this are a real testament to the dedication and tireless work of the people who volunteer day in day out to help make our borough a better place”.
More than 1000 nominations were received in total, the highest amount received to date. The judging partnership panel from Community CVS and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council got together back in September to decide who would be nominated for each prize.
The ceremony celebrated the heroic work and achievements of our borough’s volunteers. The afternoon gave everyone a chance to shine, following years of supporting other people and helping to make our borough and our communities a better place.
Garth Hodgkinson, Chief Executive of Community CVS, added: “We were absolutely delighted to have received so many wonderful nominations, thank you to every person who took the time to nominate an individual, group or business for an award”.
“Congratulations to the Winners, Runner Ups, everyone who has been nominated and everyone who volunteers. Thank you for everything you do to help make a difference”.
