Britain’s Best Volunteer Award 2016 Launches with £1,250 Cash Prize for Charity
Markel UK, the specialist charity insurer and Small Charities Coalition, the support organisation for small charities, have announced the return of the Britain’s Best Volunteer award for 2016.
The award, now in its third year, celebrates the achievements of those who volunteer their time to help small, local charities, community groups and not-for-profit organisations.
The UK public will be given the opportunity to nominate a volunteer who they think best deserves the award, with nominations judged against a range of criteria including how long they have volunteered for; if they have overcome personal challenges; how their work has inspired others; and the impact their work has had on their charity.
This year’s winner will receive £1,250 for the charity of their choice and a personal prize of a holiday voucher worth £1,000, while runners up will receive £250 for a charity of their choice and a personal prize of an Apple Watch.
From today, members of the public will be able to make their nominations online at https://www.markeluk.com/britains-best-volunteer/nominate-vote, which will remain open until February 19.
Following the nomination stage, a judging panel of Judith Miller, Trustee of Small Charities Coalition, Vicky Browning, Director of CharityComms, and Andy Partington, Director of Markel UK, will select a shortlist of finalists who will be eligible to win the Britain’s Best Volunteer award. Members of the public will then vote for their favourite by ranking each finalist in order of preference from February 29 to March 18.
Nominees must be over 18 and must be volunteers for a charity or community group with an annual turnover of less than £1m. Volunteers may hold any position within the organisation, including being a trustee, providing they are unpaid.
Andy Partington, from Markel UK said: “Small charities and their volunteers have a hugely positive impact on communities both locally and nationwide, but sometimes it can go unnoticed. Britain’s Best Volunteer celebrates the achievements of these outstanding people and gives both the winner something to enjoy for themselves, as well as some financial support for their charity. The standard set last year was incredibly high and we’re excited to see what this year’s nominations will bring.”
Judith Miller at Small Charities Coalition added: “The award enables charities from all over the country to sing the praises of their volunteers, as well as giving them opportunity to talk about their work and impact, which will assist in the awareness of their cause and fundraising. As the last two years of the award have shown, there are some truly remarkable volunteers nationwide and we want to hear all about their achievements.”
Last year’s award was won by Alice Pulford, founder and volunteer for the LoveSupportUnite Foundation, a charity that supports the Tilinanu orphanage in Malawi. The foundation now sends £1,500 each month to the orphanage and, more recently, Alice has been in discussions with the Malawian government to form a minimum standard for orphanages to aim to adhere to in Malawi.