Oadby & Wigston volunteers to be celebrated in special 50th anniversary event

Published: Tuesday, 1 October 2024

Poster with text 'Nominate your local volunteer heroes now! Nominate the stars of Oadby & Wigston to put them in with a chance of winning at our Celebration of Volunteers event on Friday 29 November! Volunteer of the Year - Sponsored by Amberwood Care Home, Young Volunteer of the Year, Community Group of the Year.'

Nominations are now open to recognise local volunteer heroes in Oadby, Wigston and South Wigston ahead of a special Celebration of Volunteers event to be held on Friday 29 November.

Oadby & Wigston Borough Council (OWBC) is holding the event to mark its 50th anniversary by celebrating those who do so much for the borough and the local community.

There are three awards up for grabs on the night, Volunteer of the Year, Young Volunteer of the Year (aged 21 or under) and Community Organisation of the Year.

If you know an individual or group that makes a real difference to communities in Oadby & Wigston you can nominate them until midnight on Monday 21 October by visiting www.oadby-wigston.gov.uk/volunteer.

Nominees must either live, work or study in the Borough of Oadby & Wigston, and their work must directly benefit residents of the borough and be unrelated to any paid employment. Potential winners will also need to be able to attend the Celebration of Volunteers awards ceremony at Brocks Hill on 29 November.

Prizes are still to be confirmed, however as a minimum winners of the Volunteer and Young Volunteer of the Year award will receive £100 for themselves and £400 to donate to an Oadby & Wigston community group or charity of their choice, and winners of Community Organisation of the Year will receive £1,000 for that organisation.

The event is largely being funded by proceeds from the Oadby & Wigston Community Lottery, where 60% of each ticket sale goes directly to good causes in the borough. To find out more, or buy a ticket in the community lottery, visit www.oadbyandwigstoncommunitylottery.co.uk

Local businesses are being encouraged to come forward to sponsor prizes and the event, with Amberwood Care Home, Wigston, already snapping up the opportunity to sponsor the Volunteer of the Year prize and EEM Ltd acting as an event sponsor.

There are still further opportunities for businesses to sponsor the event. For more information about this, and detail of what can be offered in return for sponsorship, please email advertising@oadby-wigston.gov.uk.

Councillor Samia Haq, Leader of OWBC, said: “I can’t think of a more fitting way to mark our 50th anniversary than by honouring the volunteers who do so much for our residents and make our borough a better place.

“If you know anybody who deserves to be celebrated, I really encourage you to nominate them and make sure that they know their hard work is appreciated.

“Whether it’s running a community group, helping our environment or supporting a charity I know there is so much fantastic work going on in Oadby & Wigston which needs to be recognised, and I’m really looking forward to meeting some of our local heroes.”