The Heart of Salford Awards are Salford CVS and Volunteer Centre Salford’s annual event to celebrate volunteering and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in Salford.

One of the highlights of our year, the awards put inspiring volunteers, dedicated community groups and brilliant VCSE organisations centre stage. We have been celebrating the awards since 2003 and over the years 1,000s of people have joined us to thank those making a difference in Salford.

We didn't want to miss a chance to say thank you

Despite the challenges of COVID-19, we didn't want to miss a year - especially when local people and organisations have shown so much heart in responding to the pandemic in Salford.

Due to the current situation, the Heart of Salford awards will be held in a radically different way for 2020. We will not be hosting an awards ceremony and although we will be shortlisting nominees in each category, there won't be a winner.

We want the focus to be thanking those making a difference in Salford. We know that now more than ever, it is important to recognise the massive contribution made by volunteers, mutual aid groups and VCSE organisations across our city.

We have made some alterations to our award categories to reflect the significant changes brought about by the pandemic, which includes the addition of three new categories. However, we also want to thank the volunteers and VCSE organisations who were doing amazing work before the pandemic and who will continue to play a vital role in our communities as we live with and recover from COVID-19.

Nominate now

We know that our members are fantastic at championing and recognising their volunteers, but don't forget to make time to celebrate your group or organisation's own achievements in these challenging times. 

Fill out a nomination form via our website. The forms are split into volunteer and organisation nominations:

Nominate a volunteer or volunteer team here.

Nominate a mutual aid group or VCSE organisation here.

This year we are focusing on thanks and celebration, not competition. You can make as many nominations as you wish (but please don't nominate the same person or organisation in multiple categories). We look forward to receiving your nominations!

Nominations close on Monday 2nd November 2020.

Saying thank you with a difference

We will be thanking volunteers, mutual aid groups and VCSE organisations by creating a video to showcase the shortlisted nominees and featuring the names of everyone who was nominated.

Those shortlisted will also receive a hand-delivered prize and we will be capturing video and photos of the presentation.

Please consider whether your nominee would want to feature in this video and be thanked in this way before you nominate them.

Read our top tips and guidance on making a nomination here.