The VAL Awards 2022
It’s time for us to celebrate the truly amazing inspirational leaders, unsung heroes and those that have gone above and beyond over the last 18 months.
The VAL Awards 2022
Nominations are now open
Celebrating the fantastic contribution volunteers, charities and community groups make in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. It’s time for us to celebrate the truly amazing inspirational leaders, unsung heroes and those that have gone above and beyond over the last 18 months.
This auspicious awards evening will take place at the stunning Mercure Leicester The Grand Hotel on the evening of Friday 16 September 2022. The evening will run 7pm until late.
We are pleased to be once again sponsored by Morningside Pharmaceuticals Limited and a special thank you to Fraser Urquhart Media and all of our other partners.
Nominate your charity or volunteer of the year using the form below to give us some key details. We want you to nominate the individuals and voluntary organisations that you feel have made a real difference.
Please see the full list of award categories below.
Nominations Close: Thursday 25 August 2022, at 4pm.
Award categories
This year, there will be 10 Award Categories. Find out more about each award category.
-
City Charity of the Year
Award Sponsored by: Gigabit Networks
This award is to recognise those groups based in and delivering services in Leicester city, and the fantastic work they do to improve our inner-city communities.
Criteria
- Must be based within and deliver services within the City of Leicester
-
County Charity of the Year
Award Sponsored by: Hastings Direct
This award is to recognise those groups based in and delivering services in Leicestershire, and the fantastic work they do to improve our rural and county communities.
Criteria
- Must be based within and deliver services within the Leicestershire area (Blaby, Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley & Bosworth, Melton, North West Leicestershire and Oadby & Wigston districts)
-
Rutland Charity of the Year
This award is to recognise those groups based in and delivering services in Rutland, and the
fantastic work they do to improve our rural communities.Criteria
- Must be based within and deliver services within the Rutland area
- Social Enterprise of the Year
-
Volunteer-Led Organisation of the Year
Award Sponsored by: BHIB Insurance
Not all community groups are able to secure or generate enough funding to pay staff. Many rely heavily, or sometimes entirely, on volunteers to deliver services. This award is for those charities whose selfless work in our local communities often goes completely unrecognised.
Criteria
- Must have a minimal number of paid staff, with the majority of staff being volunteers
- Must be based in, or deliver services in, the Leicester or Leicestershire areas (Leicester city, Blaby, Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley & Bosworth, Melton, North West Leicestershire and Oadby & Wigston districts)
-
Trustee of the Year
Trustees are volunteers who give up their own time to guide the administration and governance of charities. Even though they’re not paid, Trustees take on a lot of personal and legal responsibility. We want to recognise those individuals who help to keep our voluntary sector running smoothly and responsibly.
Criteria
- Must be a trustee of a charity based in Leicester or Leicestershire (Leicester city, Blaby, Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley & Bosworth, Melton, North West Leicestershire and Oadby & Wigston districts)
- Must have been a trustee Since 1 Jan 2020
- Must be registered as a trustee on the Charity Commission database
-
Volunteer of the Year
Award Sponsored by: Johnson Astill Solicitors
Volunteers selflessly give up their own time to help others. Though most volunteers offer their time with no expectations of rewards, we want to recognise those extra-special individuals who have gone above and beyond to help their local communities.
Criteria
- Must have volunteered in 2020/21
- Must have volunteered for an organisation based in Leicester or Leicestershire (Leicester city, Blaby, Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley & Bosworth, Melton, North West Leicestershire and Oadby & Wigston districts)
-
Inspiring Leader of the Year
Award Sponsored by: Mortgage Advice Bureau
This award recognises the exceptional achievements of an inspiring leader who has overcome significant obstacles to make a real difference to their own lives and their community.
Criteria
- Must be an individual
- Must be aged over 29 years
- Be based in Leicester, Leicestershire or Rutland
-
Overall Charity of the Year
Award Sponsored by: Morningside Pharmaceuticals
The winner of this award will be chosen by our judges from the winners of the other Charity of the Year categories.
-
Lifetime Achievement award
VAL has been around for over 50 years – this special award is chosen by us to recognise an organisation or individual that we feel has had a significant impact on our voluntary sector. It’s a way for us to say a personal thanks to someone we feel has made a particularly important contribution to our local communities.
There are limited spaces for people to join us at the event on Friday 16 September. If you would like to buy tickets to attend on the night, please contact us on: valawards@valonline.org.uk
Awards Nomination Form
Please fill out the form below along with your contact details, so that our team can contact you for further information on your nomination. We thank you in advance for your selection and wish you good luck on your nomination.
Terms and conditions
- Nominations will be taken until 4pm on Thursday 25 August 2022.
- VAL reserves the right to change this date.
- You are only able to nominate an individual or an organisation twice, maximum. (For example you can only nominate for 2 awards).
- Nominees will be sorted into the relevant categories by VAL based on the information provided on this page. VAL’s decision on which category a nominee falls into will be final.
- Nominated organisations will be asked to provide additional information, which will be given to judges in order to be scored against.
- VAL may contact anyone who provides a nomination to ask for more information about the nominee.
- VAL reserves the right to have the final say on which nominations will be passed forward to the judging panel and on the award winners.
- Current VAL staff and volunteers will not be eligible to receive awards.
- Nominees will be asked if they want to be a part of the awards. If nominees do not agree to participate, or do not return the information for the judging panel, they will not be progressed to the judging stage.
A special thanks to our partners:
A special thanks to all of our Award sponsors:
Award Sponsored by: Everything Branded
An organisation doesn’t have to be a ‘traditional’ charity in order to give something back. A social enterprise is a business which invests the majority of its profits into social good within the community, but it can also be the trading arm of a charity. This award is to recognise those social enterprises based in and delivering services in Leicester City and/or Leicestershire, and the continued excellent work they provide supporting their local communities.
Criteria