Community awards

Information about the organisations and individual volunteers who have won or received nominations in our annual community awards.

Community organisations and individual volunteers make a huge contribution to lives across North Yorkshire. They help to deliver a wide range of critical services, from organising luncheon clubs and helping in schools, running cultural and social events, walking dogs and shopping for elderly neighbours, helping out at cub scout and brownie guide groups, managing animal shelters and community libraries, and so much more.

Our community awards scheme aims to recognise the work of these individuals and groups across the county..

Community awards 2023 winners

Nominations for the 2023 awards closed on 11 June 2023. We received a total of 147 nominations for 123 different groups and individuals. The judging panel have considered the information supplied in the nomination forms have visited short listed nominees. 

The awards were presented at the North Yorkshire wider partnership conference on the morning of Friday 27 October 2023.

The winner of each category will be awarded £1,000 for the relevant project, group or nominated relevant local charity in the case of the volunteer awards. Two runners up in each category will receive £250.

Best community group

This award recognises the voluntary work of groups who do so much to make North Yorkshire a better place for everyone.

Winner

Neurodiverse Community Catterick: They aim to create a fully inclusive world for all, primarily supporting the neurodivergent community. Their ethos is to empower and create inclusive spaces for neurodivergent adults, children and parent carers. They are run by a team of neurodivergent volunteers and parent carers. They focus on mental health, inclusion, equality, advocacy, training, employment support for young adults, support with paperwork and creating inclusive groups to meet others who are alike.

Runners up

  • Skipton Step Into Action
  • Reeth And District Community Transport

Highly commended

  • Resurrected Bites
  • Tadcrafters CIC

 

Caring for the environment

This award recognises groups who have demonstrated a commitment to delivering community-based initiatives that protect, restore and enhance our natural environment, helping to tackle the causes and impacts of climate change or supporting nature to thrive.

Winner

Sustainable Swaledale: A volunteer-only organisation, caring for the environment by coordinating projects that connect people with nature via practical enhancement and sustainability projects. There are currently four projects: a tree-planting project that has expanded to include a tree nursery and woodland monitoring, a swift, swallows and martins project erecting bird boxes and collecting population data, a meadow and wildflower restoration project and a fourth project addresses local food growing and sharing.

Runners up

  • Circular Malton and Norton
  • Richmond School Eco Club

Highly commended

  • Kirbymoorside Environment Group
  • PALS with Trowels

 

Volunteer of the Year

This award to recognises the invaluable contribution made by dedicated individuals.

Winner

Anne Galloway: Anne is one of the voluntary trustees of Settle Swimming Pool. She has main responsibility and oversight of the staffing and management aspects of the pool - this has been particularly important during the reopening of the pool in October 2022. She also takes a key responsibility for the running of the charity shop which runs entirely on volunteer input. Anne organises the rota, runs the shop sub-committee with fellow trustees and maintains an overview of the stock and its organisation.

Runners up

  • Kendra Davies
  • Colin Etherington

Highly commended

  • Lynn Smith
  • Jean Walling