Nominations for the 2014 Lord Provost’s Inspiring Volunteering Awards are now open.
The annual awards ceremony is organised by Volunteer Centre Edinburgh and the Edinburgh Compact Partnership as part of Volunteers’ Week, the national celebration of volunteers and volunteering. This event is hosted annually by the Lord Provost and City of Edinburgh Council.
The awards celebrate the accomplishments of volunteers, and the major economic and social benefits they provide as a result of their voluntary activities. This year the event will take place on Wednesday 4th June 2014 and is by invitation only. This is your opportunity to recognise the contribution of your volunteers by nominating them for an Award.
You can nominate your volunteers online through this Survey Monkey
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6LBL3VW
Organisations can nominate up to three individual volunteers and one team. There is no guarantee that any of them will be invited to accept their award at the City Chambers as we are strictly limited on numbers, however all nominated volunteers will receive a certificate – if not in-person, then in the post.
Eligibility criteria:
- The Awards are only open to people volunteering in the City of Edinburgh
- There are no age restrictions
- Volunteers must have volunteered for at least six months with your organisation before being eligible to be nominated
- If they have previously received an “Inspiring Volunteering Certificate” at the City Chambers they should not be nominated again
- Only fully completed nominations will be considered for individuals or teams, and we will quote from these statements when presenting the awards
All shortlisted nominations will be considered for the Lord Provost of Edinburgh’s Inspiring Volunteer of the Year Award 2014.
In addition to our usual team and individual nominations, last year we introduced a number of special recognition categories to highlight some of the diverse areas of volunteering across the City of Edinburgh, including:
- A Young Volunteer (aged between 11 and 25 years old)
- Long Standing Contribution to Volunteering Award (an individual who has volunteered for 10 years or more, and has made an outstanding contribution)
- Charity Shop Volunteer
- Fundraising Volunteer
- Trustee Volunteer
- Health & Social Care Volunteer (volunteers engaged in health and social care, including support work, befriending or projects which reduce social isolation and help assist independent living)
- Sports Volunteer (volunteers actively involved in supporting sports in their communities).
- Environment & Conservation Volunteer (volunteers engaged in environmental activities including education, conservation or gardening).
- Arts, Culture & Heritage Volunteer
- Housing / Tenant volunteer ***NEW category for 2014 ***
Volunteers Week runs from the 1st – 7th June 2014. We encourage all volunteer involving organisations to organise their own recognition events during Volunteers’ Week, whether that be their own mini awards ceremony, coffee morning, lunch or social activity for their volunteers. It’s a great opportunity to do something to say thank you, and show your volunteers that they are valued and appreciated.
*** Nominations close on Monday 7th April 2014 at 6pm ***
Looking back
In 2013 Alison Drever, a Volunteer Adviser, Benefits Specialist and Case Checker for Citizen’s Advice Edinburgh Leith Bureau was selected by Edinburgh’s Lord Provost and Volunteering Ambassador Donald Wilson as “Inspiring Volunteer of the Year 2013”
Laura Plumb, Advice Services Co-ordinator at the Leith Bureau said that: “Alison’s commitment and contribution to Leith CAB and our clients has been exemplary over the last 16 years, not only has Alison been a valued adviser with a particular expertise in benefits, but she has also been our Tribunal representative for our clients in benefits Tribunals. Alison is very organised and methodical, and her skills and knowledge are invaluable to both clients and fellow advisers who frequently consult her on the more complex aspects of benefits, as well our trainee advisers as Alison is also one of our more experienced mentors and helps to train new volunteers in the skills of advising, and she always goes the extra mile to resolve her client’s problems”.
Watch this short film about why Alison won the award: http://tinyurl.com/o3dmgjv
In 2012 Barbara Johnstone, Organiser for Ravelrig Riding for the Disabled was named ‘Inspiring Volunteer of the Year 2012’. You can see why she deserved this award by watching this short film:http://youtu.be/SKqZsepKdnU
In 2011 Michele Lindsay, a Classroom Assistant at Access to Industry was named ‘Inspiring Volunteer of the Year 2011’. You can see why she deserved this award by watching this short film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZS44WEHWvc&list=UUO2SRSCUDfPuCbXBztn6_2g&index=9&feature=plcp
With thanks to volunteer Richard Morgan for shooting and editing the above films.
What information will I need to complete the nomination process?
To help you complete the nomination process, here’s the information you will need to know or have to hand for each volunteer and / or team that you wish to nominate:
- Full name of nominated volunteer (or team name).
- The Volunteer Role they fulfil and what it involves.
- Date they started volunteering with you (and when they finished, if they have since ended their volunteering with you).
- Information to help you write their Nomination Statement, ie. you should be able to describe what the individual volunteer or team has achieved through their volunteering and the difference they have made. It’s great if you can cite examples of their commitment and impact. It’s also nice if you can highlight personal qualities and attributes that they bring to the role.
Nominations can be submitted online here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6LBL3VW
For more information please contact:
Lara Celini, Public Services Manager
Volunteer Centre Edinburgh, 24 Torphichen Street (3rd Floor) Edinburgh EH3 8JB
Direct dial: 0131 225 0630
(Lara’s usual days of work are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays)
lara.celini@volunteeredinburgh.org.uk
www.volunteeredinburgh.org.uk
We are also delighted to welcome Dorothy Thomson, Events Assistant Volunteer to our team, and appreciate her assistance in organising this event.
lhncc.org.uk 