GAVO Newport Volunteering Awards

*EMBARGOED Until 24/8/26 - 19:00

Following the nomination period over the summer the team are pleased to announce the nominees for this years awards, we once again had a huge number of nominations with a number of names being nominated a number of times from within the community, clearly demonstrating the appreciation felt by people for the services provided by groups and individuals across the city.

This year’s awards will once again take place at the Holiday Inn at The Coldra on the 15th October, this year we will open up the opportunity for more people to attend the event by making tickets available to purchase.

Further details about this will be released soon.

Awards will be presented across a wide range of categories, each highlighting a different aspect of volunteering, Click the arrow to see who has been shortlisted in each category:

Trustee and Director

The Trustee and Director award recognises the often, unseen work of those individuals who make an enormous difference to all our charities and community and voluntary groups. Trustees and Directors make important decisions about how an organisation operates to ensure they comply with legislation and regulations and maintain their integrity.

Shortlisted Nominees:

• Jeff Nolan

• Paul Laughlin

Food Sustainability

The Food Sustainability award celebrates those individuals who support environmental issues, such as reducing food waste, improving food sustainability and subsequently helping those people in need.

Shortlisted Nominees:

• Hazel Griffiths

• FoodCycle

Sport & Leisure

This award celebrates those who give their time to supporting and developing local sport and recreational projects in their communities. This could be football or rugby clubs, bowls, or tennis, even yoga or walking groups.

Shortlisted Nominees:

• Riverfront Parkrun Volunteers

• Luca Conibeer

Community Advocate

The Community Advocate award recognises individuals who contribute to the community by helping people, and groups to find a place where they feel like they are part of something, respected by others and feel valued.

Shortlisted Nominees:

• Bandar Ahmed

• Jackie Edwards

Environmental

The environmental award celebrates those individuals or groups who encourage communities to become more sustainable, and they go the extra mile to protect our planet for future generations. 

Shortlisted Nominees:

• Dipika Patel

• Bike Repair Workshop Volunteers, The GAP Center

Inspirational Young Person (14-25)

This Inspirational Young Person award recognises those young people who are making influential decisions about their communities and are role models amongst their peers. These individuals make a significant and positive impact on local communities by seeing things from a youthful perspective and know what they want their future communities to look like.

Shortlisted Nominees:

• Rhian James

• Brooklyn Tariro Tafirenyika

Family Champion

The Family Champion award acknowledges those who go the extra mile for our next generation. Supporting Parent and Toddler groups, social coffee mornings, children & young people’s groups and PTAs are just some of the ways these individuals help improve the lives of children, young people and families in our communities.

Shortlisted Nominees:

• Gemma Vincent

• Newport Junior Parkrun

Health & Wellbeing

This award celebrates those who help others to manage some of the challenges and personal struggles that life can present. With a caring and compassionate nature, these individuals or groups support people to improve their health and wellbeing needs.

Shortlisted Nominees:

• Homelife Volunteers

• Welsh Bengals Sporting Club CIC

Inspirational Journey

The Inspirational Journey award is an incredibly special award for the individuals who standout from the rest and take their volunteering responsibilities to another level. This award would be given to individuals who the judging panel feel are a true inspiration to us all.

Shortlisted Nominees:

• Daniel Adesina

• Kasim Ramzan

Culture and Heritage

The Culture and Heritage Award recognises the work of those who ensure culture is central to our vibrant communities. These nominees go above and beyond to protect their culture and heritage for their present and future generations.

Shortlisted Nominees:

• Newport Kerala Community

• Grenville Pow

  
  

High Sherrif of Gwent Award

This award will be announced on the night

Lord Lieutenant of Gwent Award

This award will be announced on the night

Each nominee brought something unique to the table, and many were featured in a special YouTube playlist, allowing their stories to reach even more people. long after the event concluded.

More Than Just Awards

While the evening is about recognition, it was also a reminder of the power of community. We want to thank everyone who was nominated, whether shortlisted or not, acknowledging the part the third sector community organisations play in building a better Newport.

Whether it’s picking up groceries for a neighbour, running a local sports club, or leading environmental projects, volunteering takes many forms and all are worth celebrating.

Looking Ahead

As we move into the colder months and face new challenges, the warmth and generosity of Newport’s volunteers continue to shine. GAVO remains committed to supporting these everyday heroes and looks forward to seeing even more incredible work in the year ahead.

If this has inspired you to volunteer in our city please head to the volunteering section of the website found here.

---

Nominations received this year

Thank you to everyone who nominated the following individuals for an award this year. Although they were not selected for this year's shortlist, we want to publicly acknowledge and thank them for their valuable contributions to supporting the community in Newport:

Nominations Received

Kid Care 4U

Nkechi Allen Dawson

Rahila Hamid

Yvonne Odukwe

Newport Mohila

Bois Y Bryn

Carl Christensen

Darren Rice

Greening Maindee

Alec Houston

Connor Rogers

Ffrind I Mi Volunteers

KB Boxing & Fitness

Masooma Ramzan

Rubina Rishi

Cutis Moore

Haytham Omar

Nicholas Brittan

Pixie Davies & Dennis Bader

Sandra Allen

Shamim Hussain