Nominations open for Burnley’s first ever ‘Above and Beyond’ awards to honour and thank the town’s unsung heroes

The Above and Beyond Awards Ceremony will take place on 1st March 2023 at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) Victoria Mill site in Burnley. The evening will be hosted by Director of the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Simon Brierley.

Nominations are now open and people are invited to submit nominations for an award by following this link https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/aboveandbeyond23. There are 10 award categories (see below) and you can submit a nomination for as many categories as you like. Details of each category and the criteria applied can be found at the link above.

 Group Lifetime Achievement Award

 Young Volunteer of the Year

 Small Church Group of the Year

 Medium to Large Community Group of the Year

 Fundraiser of the Year

 Volunteer of the Year

 Green/Energy Saving Champion

 Burnley Ambassador of the Year

Nominees, either individuals or groups/organisations, must either live or be resident in the Borough of Burnley. The Above and Beyond awards were developed in collaboration between Burnley Council, the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) and the Burnley Express.

The main sponsor of the awards is Urbaser, which provides waste collection and street cleaning services for the district.

Council President Afrasiab Anwar said: “In our district there is an army of unsung heroes who day in, day out do everything they can to help those around them and never ask for or receive credit for their services. We wanted to do a small part to set this right and honor those people and groups who work quietly but relentlessly in the background, but are making a real and meaningful difference in people’s lives.

“They do it without fanfare; This is our opportunity to say a huge thank you for your hard work and dedication.”

Urbaser’s Jose Ramon Sanchez said: “Urbaser is delighted to be the main sponsor of these wonderful awards. The ultimate recipients, whoever they may be, are not doing this for recognition or the spotlight. They do it because they care about others. But we think it is right that they be recognized, even in small ways, for their sense of community and for the vital support they give to others selflessly.”

John Deehan, Editor of the Burnley Express, said: “It is a great honor for the Burnley Express to be part of the inaugural Above and Beyond Awards.

“Our city has so many things to be proud of, but what always stands out to me is their sense of community.

“These awards give us an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to all the unsung heroes whose unwavering dedication to helping others makes Burnley such a welcoming and special place to live.”

Christine Blythe, Chief Executive Officer of BPRCVS, said: “It is really important that voluntary sector organizations are recognized for the wonderful support they have provided during the pandemic and continue to offer during these increasingly difficult times for our community.

“Volunteers volunteer their time and these awards will help highlight the amazing contribution that so many volunteers have made

so many different ways to support people who are struggling.

“Unfortunately, we cannot give every volunteer an award, although they all deserve one. However, the nominations and winners will show the great people we have at Burnley who put their time into helping others.”

The nomination deadline is February 12, 2023.