Ceredigion Volunteer Awards

CAVO Volunteer Awards 2024 

Celebrating outstanding volunteers across Ceredigion and the special difference they have made in people’s lives! 

 
The Ceredigion Volunteering Awards 2024 are coordinated by CAVO (Ceredigion Association of Voluntary Organisations), with the purpose of recognising and celebrating the real difference volunteers make to communities in Ceredigion and to themselves. 

To qualify for nomination, nominees are required to volunteer for a charity, community group, or a comparable organisation. If you are uncertain about your eligibility, please contact CAVO.

Please read the information carefully and use the ‘Top Tips’ sheet provided. 
 
There are 6 categories for nominations in 2024: 

  • Volunteering Award – Outstanding Achievement 
  • Volunteer Award – Team 
  • Volunteer Award – Young Person 
  • Volunteer Award – Trustee 
  • Volunteer Award – Coordinator 
  • Volunteer Award – 40 years of service 
  • Volunteering Award – Outstanding Achievement  

Awarded to an individual volunteer whose commitment to voluntary work within the county that has contributed to and enhanced the wellbeing of their community.  This could be an individual that helped their neighbour or came forward in an emergency to help someone in their community or volunteer within organisation.  

  • Volunteering Award – Team  

For two or more volunteers or who have demonstrated great teamwork, provided support and encouragement for other volunteers, and made a significant and positive impact through working together. 

  • Volunteering Award – Young Person  

For volunteers under the age of 25 who have gone above and beyond and who have used their own volunteer experience to inspire others. 

  • Volunteering Award – Trustee 

This award celebrates a trustee that has made a significant contribution to the work of a charity, community group, voluntary organisation, or social enterprise. 

  • Volunteering Award – Volunteer coordinator  

Awarded to an individual coordinator, manager or leader of volunteers (paid or unpaid role).  Please provide good evidence as to why this organisation appreciates its volunteers and how the coordinator demonstrates this. 

  • Volunteering Award – 40 years service. 

In honour of the 40th anniversary of Volunteering Week, a distinguished award has been established to acknowledge organizations or individuals who have dedicated 40 years or more to serving the community. 

Nominations MUST be received by 12pm 1st May 2024. Finalists will be contacted by CAVO and announced during Volunteers Week 3-9 June 2024. All individuals nominated must volunteer in Ceredigion or volunteer for a Ceredigion based community or not for profit organisation. 
 
An independent panel of judges consisting of CAVO staff, trustees and representatives of the voluntary sector will make the final decision on winning entries. 

The nomination form can be found here.  https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=0D7p923rJUGAuZs7g2XUQAlNcupu1CZKoo6GYRyv_M9UMlI0NzlCNjBKNkxQMzY1VlNKTlExWTczTi4u  

Top Tips for completing the Volunteering Awards nomination form. 

Be specific 

  • The nomination form asks specific questions in an attempt create to a full picture of the volunteer/s you are nominating. Therefore, please make sure you answer each of them as fully as possible. 
  • Where possible, include details regarding the contribution your nominee/s make. 
  • Avoid saying “many” years or hours. 
  • Share specific examples e.g: 
  • John Smith has been volunteering with us for 7 years. He volunteers with us twice a week for 3 hours per session. 

Don’t Assume…. 

  • You know your volunteer/s and what they do. The judging panel will be building a picture of your volunteer from the information on the form so include as much detail as possible. 
  • Think of the judging panel as visitors from another planet. 
  • They will be tasked with reading through each application, awarding marks based on what you have written. Even if a panel judge is aware of your work they won’t be able to award marks unless it’s written on the form. The easier you can make it for the judges to score the nomination form the higher the chance of winning. 

Build a picture 

  • Share specific examples of activities that your volunteer has been involved in and bring their volunteering experience to life. 
  • Tell their story. 
  • This is your opportunity to tell us why your volunteer/s deserves to win an award. 
  • There are questions on the form and spaces for your answer – you can type as much as you like in these boxes. 
  • Answer every question and do make sure you give enough information for the category/ies you have picked for the volunteer/s. 
  • Remember the more examples and detail you give, the better chance the volunteer/s you are nominating has of winning! 

Can’t persuade your volunteers?? 

  • So many volunteers do not think that would they do is anything special – we want to remind them what they do is amazing. Without volunteers so much in Ceredigion just would not happen. 
  • Remember nominating your volunteer will be good publicity for your organisation and most volunteers will be happy to promote the organisation if a little shy to promote themselves. 
  • So what are you waiting for; get those nominations in for the CAVO Volunteering Awards 

Note the date….. 

  • Nominations must be received by midday on the 1st May 2024 via the online form (link below). If you are unable to submit a nomination electronically then paper copies are available. Please contact gen@cavo.org.uk and return by the closing date. 

Don’t Forget…. 

  • All individuals nominated must volunteer in Ceredigion or volunteer for a Ceredigion based organisation.  
  • Permission must be sought from the nominee. 
  • Finalists of the awards will be required to allow their photographs and information regarding their volunteering to be used for publicity purposes. 
  • Individual volunteers cannot be nominated by themselves or a family member for an individual volunteer award. 
  • Give as much information as you can in each section relevant to the Award category/ies, there are spaces below each question to type your answer – these expand so you can write as much as you need to. 
  • If you need help with the form or have any questions contact the Volunteering Team at CAVO on 01570 423 232/ gen@cavo.org.uk  – before 1st May 2024!