Primary school children with older volunteers during an after schools session

Newsflash - extra week to nominate!

You've got an extra week to nominate your star older volunteers for Belfast City Council's annual Age-friendly Belfast Older Volunteer Awards. A chance to recognise those people who make a real difference to neighbourhoods and groups across the city!

Belfast City Council's Age-friendly Belfast Older Volunteer Awards for 2018 are still open and will be for an extra week.  

The Awards are a chance for groups, organisations and individual members of the community to recognise and celebrate the considerable impact made by volunteers aged 60 and over to communities, neighbourhoods and people across the city.

This year's categories are:

1. The Older Volunteer of the Year Award: this award recognises an individual volunteer who you feel has made a real difference to the work you do over the last year, October 2017 to September 2018. Examples of this may include

  • A volunteer who has introduced a new way of doing things and so improved the service delivery.
  • A volunteer who has inspired or brought new enthusiasm to existing volunteers and/or staff.

2. Marie Mathews Participation Award: this award aims to recognise a volunteer who embodies the true spirit of volunteering. Examples of this may include

  • A  volunteer who participates across a number of different volunteer roles or for a number of different groups and organisations
  • A volunteer whose contribution actively encourages others to get involved. This can be other volunteers or new service users.
  • A volunteer whose length of service deserves to be recognised.

3. Making a Difference Award: this award aims to recognise a volunteer whose contribution has made a significant impact whether to the work of an organisation or a local community. This includes volunteers who contribute to projects involving

  • arts and culture
  • health & well-being
  • environmental improvement
  •  community development
  • any other charitable activity with a benefit to the community or individuals within it.

4. Good Neighbour Award: this award recognises someone, not necessarily connected with a group or organisation, who makes a difference to others in the neighbourhood or area, improving the quality of people’s lives. Someone who gets the title ‘unsung hero’ because of the things they do, big or small to make life better for people beyond their own immediate family.   

5. Group or team: this category celebrates 2 or more volunteers who are involved in the same project, programme or service within an organisation. Examples here might be

  • A group of volunteers working in the same charity shop
  • A team of volunteers who  lead on fund raising for a group
  • A group of volunteers who do information talks on behalf of your organisation.
  • A group of volunteers engaged in an intergenerational project

All members of the team you are nominating should be 60 or over by the close of the nomination period which is now extended to Friday 26 October

The Awards are an opportunity to recognise inspirational volunteers across groups, organisations and communities, and promote the difference their volunteering makes.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the Awards or want to check about nominating please call 9032 0202 ext 3775, e mail [email protected] or visit www.belfastcity.gov.uk/volunteering 

Last updated 5 years 5 months ago