Local Community Volunteers To Be Honoured

Mary Macleod wants you to nominate your heroes

Do you know someone who gives up their time to help out in your local community? If so, local MP, Mary Macleod wants to hear from you.

The Brentford and Isleworth MP is organising an awards ceremony on Tuesday, July 3rd, to honour volunteers in the local community. It will be known as the Hounslow Volunteering Awards 2012, and will reward local heroes, businesses, and voluntary organisations who have made an exceptional contribution to the community in the past year. The awards will recognise those who have made a real difference to others, and also aims to encourage more people in the Borough to volunteer in the year ahead.

A major boost has been received with confirmation of sponsorship from local businesses including BSKYB ( Osterley), Aker Solutions (Chiswick), British Airways, Fullers (Chiswick), Shepherds Bush Housing Group (Chiswick), EMC2 (Brentford) , and Worley Parsons (Brentford).

There are ten awards and anyone can nominate as many individuals or businesses for as many awards as they wish. The nomination forms should be completed by the 15th June 2012 and can be found on her website at www.marymacleod.com .

Mary commented: “With National Volunteering week 1st–7th June, it is an ideal time to identify those unsung heroes of our community, who have made a significant contribution to our lives. I think we all know someone, a business or a voluntary organisation whose hard work and selflessness inspires us and this event is a great opportunity to recognise them.  I would encourage people to go to my website to download a form, and nominate someone during this week. They also can call us 020 7219 7023 and we will send them a form."

She also praised the local businesses for getting involved in sponsoring the awards and for the work they do for their local community.

Awards will be given for a diverse range of volunteering activities and all ages. There will be 10 main awards, each sponsored by a business or individual:

1.     Hounslow Charity of the Year
for a voluntary organisation who has achieved great impact in the local community

2.     Business Community Impact Award
for an organisation who has made a major contribution to the local community

3.     Entrepreneurial Volunteer of the Year
for someone who has initiated and led a new community project during the year

4.     Hounslow Carer of the Year
for exceptional support to a family member or friend

5.     Hounslow Mentor of the Year
for transforming the life of one person

6.     Hounslow Leadership Award
for someone who has led a team to make a real change locally

7.     Personal Achievement Award
for a person who has overcome personal adversity/challenges to make a difference locally

8.     Young Volunteer of the Year
for volunteer, under 25 years old, who has made a great local impact

May 30, 2012r> for volunteer, over 25 years old, who has made a great local impact

10.   Lifetime Achievement Award
for long service to the community

The panel of Judges for the awards will include the two main sponsors, Mary Macleod MP, The Volunteer Centre Hounslow, a local Councillor and Deputy Lord Lieutenant.

May 29, 2012