News Maidstone Compassionate Community Awards Open For Nominations
Nominations for the Maidstone Compassionate Community Awards 2022 are now open.
Launched by Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) and Heart of Kent Hospice the awards recognise and celebrate the work of unsung heroes living and working in the borough of Maidstone.
In response to the amazing things people were doing through the pandemic, the Compassionate Community Awards were introduced in 2020. They highlight and celebrate the positive and compassionate work that individuals, community groups and organisations do to support others.
Nominations received in the past two years have heralded people who have gone above and beyond to help their friends, families, neighbours, work colleagues and local communities.
Once again, MBC has collaborated with Heart of Kent Hospice with the awards to showcase the important and selfless work that people have done to help improve the lives of people in Maidstone.
Commenting on the Awards MBC Lead Cabinet Member for Communities and Engagement, Cllr Lottie Parfitt Reid said:
I am delighted to be involved in the Compassionate Community Awards on behalf of Maidstone Borough Council and working with Heart of Kent Hospice. These awards really recognise and celebrate some incredible people.I am sure that we will find that most of those who have done the work, are the ones who are least expected to be recognised, because they are just by their nature incredibly selfless, generous and giving people. Please nominate those who have made a difference to your life and lets celebrate these amazing people of Maidstone.
There are six categories in the 2022 Awards*:
- Compassionate Workplace/Business
- Compassionate Care/Residential Home
- Compassionate Neighbour/Volunteer
- Compassionate School/Teacher
- Compassionate Young Person (under 18 years)
- Compassionate Community
The awards are part of the work being carried out to support the work of the Council and the Hospice for the borough to become ‘Compassionate Maidstone.’
Compassionate places are communities that publicly encourage, facilitate, support and celebrate care for one another during life’s most testing moments and experiences, especially those pertaining to life-threatening and life-limiting illness, chronic disability, frail ageing and dementia, grief and bereavement, and the trials and burdens of long-term care.
Chief Executive of Heart of Kent Hospice Rachel Street added:
It feels brilliant to be doing the awards again; we started it in 2020 and are delighted that there is enough enthusiasm and commitment to doing it again in 2022.Although the pandemic may be over, I think the world has changed and people are still struggling with lots of things in their lives – the cost of living crisis is putting a huge amount of pressure on people. I think that the sense of compassion and community that we saw in the pandemic is continuing, and we want to encourage it to continue and celebrate it.
One of MBC Priorities is Homes and Communities and these awards reflect that.
The Compassionate Community Awards 2022 are supported by the Kent Messenger. Nominations close on Wednesday 5 October at 5pm, they will then be shortlisted and judged by Cllr Lottie Parfitt Reid, MBC Chief Executive - Alison Broom, HOKH Chief Executive - Rachel Street, and KM editors in October. The winners will be announced on Tuesday 1 November at Maidstone Town Hall when they will be presented with their awards by the Mayor Cllr Derek Mortimer.
If you would like to nominate an individual or organisation please go to the website: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/features/compassionate-awards/ or email: compassionateawards@maidstone.gov.uk
* Compassionate Community Award Nominations can be a written submission of no more than 250 words describing the nominees work. It can also be submitted as a short video (maximum of 3 minutes) outlining who they are and what they’ve done, or as a recorded message. Please also include photographs to reflect how they have supported their community.