Agenda item

To receive a verbal update on the 2023 SK Community Awards.

The Community Engagement Manager provided a verbal update to the Committee.

For the last three years, South Kesteven District Council had celebrated those in the community that make a difference by asking the residents of South Kesteven to nominate their community champions. 

This year, the Council was incorporating what had previously been the Best Kept Village competition. This category had changed to an opportunity for community nomination and given a new title – Community in Bloom. This provided the opportunity for nominations from all villages within South Kesteven.

There had also been a new award created for Urban Space. This award was open to nominations relating to any of the four towns within the District.

The other categories were:

·       Inspirational Young Person (nominations for young people up to the age of 25)

·       Lifetime Community Achievement (people who had given a lifetime to supporting their local community)

·       Health and Wellbeing

·       Business and the Community (nominations for companies showing high levels of Corporate Social Responsibility)

·       Neil Smith – Beyond the Call of Duty (nominations for blue light services and individuals who have helped in an emergency)

The Council launched the awards during Volunteers Week (1-7 June 2023) and nominations were open until 24^th August 2023.

The PR for the Awards had gone out in SKToday, social media and some targeted marketing relating to the Neil Smith Award (Police, Fire and Rescue, LIVES, Red Cross, St John Ambulance for example).

Information regarding categories had been sent out to all the Parish and Town Council’s, with specific mention of the Community in Bloom and Urban Space awards.

At the time of the meeting, 43 nominations had been received across the categories. Unfortunately, no nominations for Community in Bloom or Urban Space had been received.

Members were urged to advertise the SK Community Awards when attending Parish or Town Council meetings.

Judging for the Awards was due to take place on Monday 11September 2023. The judging panel was made up of Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny Committees and the Cabinet Member for People and Safer Communities. This meant Member representation from Bourne, Deepings, Grantham, and Stamford.  A further elected Member from a rural Ward would also be invited to participate. 

Alongside Members, a previous winner and young person from the District would also be invited to be part of the judging panel.

Each finalist and a guest would be invited to a celebration event in Bourne on 27 October 2023 where the winners will be announced. The winner of each category will be presented with a crystal trophy or, in the case of the Community in Bloom and Urban Space categories, a plaque. Photographs from the evening of the winners and runners up would be published in SK Today.

A query was raised on whether the winner of the ‘Best Kept Village’ would receive a plaque. For which it was clarified the Community in Bloom and Urban Space categories would both receive a plaque to locate in an area of their choice.

Clarification was sought on whether the Urban Space category would include certain Council estates.

The Community Engagement Manager confirmed that estates within the town that had open spaces worthy of nomination, were eligible.

A Member questioned whether any funding support was offered to support low-income communities to assist in setting up projects to be nominated for an award.

It was confirmed there was no funding support provided by the Council in order to assist in being nominated for an award. Constituted community groups would be eligible for certain funding opportunities, however, this was not related to the Community Awards. The Community Engagement Team was always happy to assist if Members knew of groups requiring support.