Nominations are open until midnight on 29 November, with a new support animal award and a lifetime achievement prize. Here is how each winner is chosen.

Nominations are open for the Bath and North East Somerset Community Awards, which celebrate the volunteers, charities and parish workers who help other people. You have until midnight on Sunday 29 November to put someone forward (council announcement, 24 September 2026).

The awards are in their 17th year. Two categories are new this time: a Support Animal of the Year award and a Chair’s Special Lifetime Achievement Award. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on Monday 22 February 2027.

The categories, and who picks the winner

The council’s awards page sets out each award and how it is judged. Five are decided by a judging panel. In two, the panel picks three finalists and the public votes.

Award For Winner chosen by
Beryl Dixon Community Leader of the Year Outstanding leadership that advances equality, paid or voluntary Judging panel
Jenny Willson Volunteer of the Year A volunteer who goes above and beyond and motivates others Judging panel
Sara Banks Young Volunteer of the Year A young person aged up to 25 Judging panel
Peter Duppa-Miller Parish Awards A parish councillor, and a parish clerk or employee Judging panel
Charity of the Year A charity making a real difference to residents Panel shortlist of three, then public vote
Support Animal of the Year (new) An animal supporting people through an organisation or group Panel shortlist of three, then public vote
Chair’s Special Lifetime Achievement (new) A person or group who has improved lives over many years Judging panel

The support animal award is for animals working through an organisation. The council gives therapy animals in schools, healthcare settings and charities as examples.

The young volunteer award now carries the name of Sara Banks. She worked for the council for more than 32 years, including on the Community Awards, and died this year after a short illness. The council says she volunteered as a Brown Owl for the Brownies, and supporting young people was a particular passion.

Who won last time

The 2026 awards drew 86 nominations across five categories. The winners were announced at the Guildhall on 23 March (council announcement, 24 March 2026). They included:

  • Community Leader: Alex Johnson of Nova Sports, for opening up sport to disabled children and adults
  • Young Volunteer: Jimmi Browning of Youth Connect South West, for making technology accessible to others, and a 13-year-old from the charity Time is Precious, founded in memory of the brother he never met
  • Parish Awards: George Clutton, parish clerk at Radstock Town Council, and Cllr Malcolm Austwick of Combe Hay Parish Council
  • Charity of the Year, by public vote: the Ben Saunders Foundation, which provides free holidays and respite breaks for families. Bath Area Play Project and Bath Mind were highly commended
  • Volunteer of the Year: the winner asked to stay anonymous. Gill Bottomley, a Citizens Advice volunteer since 1996, was highly commended
  • Chair’s Special Recognition: Jackie Head, for her work in the Chew Valley

The awards are run by the council with five partners: the B&NES Third Sector Group (3SG), B&NES Avon Local Council Association, BEMSCA, Everyone Health and the Student Community Partnership.

What it means for you

If you know someone who deserves it, you can nominate them in three ways:

  • online, through the council’s Community Awards page
  • by emailing connecting_communities@bathnes.gov.uk for a paper form
  • by calling the Community Engagement Team on 01225 396975

The deadline is midnight on 29 November. Watch for the public votes on Charity of the Year and Support Animal of the Year once the shortlists are out.

If you would rather volunteer yourself, 3SG’s Volunteer Fair is at Bath Abbey on Thursday 22 October. Everyone Health’s Simply Connect service lists local roles all year.

Sources