Great music on the way to Westbury!

HARD-working volunteers and community groups who help transform the lives of people in the county will be recognised at the Wiltshire Voluntary and Community Awards.

The awards, run by Wiltshire Council and NHS Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group, are now into their fourth year and people have until Friday 12th July to make their nominations.

There are seven award categories this year including one showing how a project, or service the volunteer provides, helps improve the quality of life for people in Wiltshire. This could include any aspect of life, with social, cultural, educational or environmental benefits.

The categories are: Creative partnership working in communities • Improving the quality of life for people in Wiltshire • Best community initiative nominated by an area board • Community leadership • Young volunteer of the year  • Volunteer of the year • Employer demonstrating support for local communities.

The event is designed to celebrate the many excellent and innovative things happening in the county. It will recognise good practice and encourage the sharing of success stories.

Jonathon Seed, cabinet member for communities said, “These awards highlight the outstanding voluntary work that goes on at the heart of our communities by local groups and volunteers. They don’t carry out this work for recognition but for a desire to help others and to make their communities better places to live, and this is a great way to thank them.”

NHS Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group chairman, Dr Steve Rowlands said, “The voluntary and community sector makes a huge contribution to the quality of life in Wiltshire. It’s easy to focus on the scale of that contribution with nearly 8,000 organisations, ranging from the very small to the very big, but it’s also important to focus on the individuals whose time, effort and dedication together make up that huge contribution.

“Our continued gratitude goes out towards those organisations and we wish them the very best of luck.”

Those shortlisted will then be invited to the awards ceremony at the Corn Exchange in Devizes in October.

For more details on the awards and information on how to apply, visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk/vcsawards