Derby Voluntary Sector Awards 2022
We had a wonderful time at our 2022 Derby Volunteer Awards night!
Volunteers Week is an annual opportunity to recognise and thank volunteers. During an exceptionally difficult couple of years, people from all walks of life around the UK have taken the time to volunteer and make a huge difference to their communities – just as they do every year.
This made it all the more fantastic to be able to get together again and celebrate the great work of volunteers and the VCSE sector in Derby!
Our CEO Kim Harper said:
"Being a volunteer has never been more important. The pandemic brought people and communities together and it absolutely showed what we always knew, volunteers have a vital role to play in supporting strong communities.
Volunteers do so much, without them life would be much harder for many people in our communities. We don’t celebrate volunteers enough, so we wanted to say thank you. Tonight's Derby Volunteer Awards aims to celebrate and shout about volunteering!"
Guests attending the event at Derby Silk Mill were met with beautiful harp music from Laura-Rose Gee and enjoyed a welcome drink before collecting their goody bags and finding a seat. There were 17 tables to choose from, each named after one of the 17 wards of Derby.
The night kicked off with a video about the history of Derby, leading all the way up to the COVID-19 pandemic and the amazing community response.
Our host for the evening was Nick Britten, who did a fabulous job as Master of Ceremonies. He explained how the 200 nominations we received had all been carefully assessed and then deliberated upon by 5 panels of judges to select the final winners.
Members of the judging panels stepped up to present the winners with their awards and certificates, whilst photographer Shaun Hardwick captured the moment.
One of our winners - Michael Wragg unfortunately couldn't attend the event, but had sent pictures of a presentation ceremony the organisation he volunteers with had held for him.
A special guest - the High Sheriff of Derbyshire, presented the Life Time Achievement Award to Joginder Bains, who made an inspiring speech and received a standing ovation.
It was an evening that brought a tear to the eye and warmth to the heart. In these difficult times it was a much needed tonic and a reminder that however bad things seem, there are always people working and fighting and volunteering their time to make things better.
We hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did!
With thanks to our partners Derby Homes, to 6Pence Designs who did a fabulous job with our programme and to Community One for the delicious cupcakes!
The full list of 2022 winners is as follows:
- Natasha Cover - Youth Work Award
- Hasnain Ashraf - Young Volunteer Award
- Aaron Payne - Young Volunteer Award
- Warren Muir - Sporting Awards
- Sarah Eley - Mental Health & Addiction Award
- Earl Richards - Crisis Support Award
- Addana Uzoma – Inclusion Award
- James Palfreyman - Overcoming Barriers Award
- Bev Stewart - Community Champion Award
- Matt Jones - Good Neighbour Award
- Michael Wragg – Unsung Hero Award
- Enthusiasm – Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Award
- The Derby Sikh Museum - Arts, Culture and Heritage Award
- Down to Earth Derby – Grassroots and Innovation Award
- Joginder Bains - Lifetime Achievement Award
You can also read more about the winners in the event programme, which can be downloaded below:
Derby Volunteer Awards 2022 Programme
You can see some photos of our winners below. To view the full album of photos from the event please click here!
