GAVO Newport Volunteering Awards
Updated: 3 days ago
On the evening of the 15th October the Third Sector Community if Newport came together to celebrate all those nominated at this years volunteering awards.
Joined by a number of distinguished guests including Politicians, Council members and members of government the night looks to both highlight the importance the sector plays in supporting local residents and acknowledge groups and individuals who have been nominated by the local community.
Following the nomination period over the summer, we once again had a huge number of nominations with a number of names being nominated a number of times from within the community.
The awards were presented across a wide range of categories, each highlighting a different aspect of volunteering, Click the arrows below to see who has been shortlisted in each category and who took the prize denoted in bold and with a star next to the name and photo image of this years winner:
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 - Caerleon Reired Persons Welfare Club
Paul Laughlin- The Gap ⭐
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 - The Gap ⭐
FoodCycle - View the groups introduction video here
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 - View the groups introduction video here
Luca Conibeer - Newport City FC ⭐
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 - The Gap
Jackie Edwards -The Neuro Excercise Group ⭐ - Views the groups introduction video here
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 ⭐ - View the groups introduction video here
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 -The Place ⭐ - View the introduction video here
Brooklyn Tariro Tafirenyika - View the introduction video here
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 ⭐- View the groups introduction video here
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 ⭐ - View the groups introduction video here
Welsh Bengals Sporting Club CIC - View the groups introduction video here
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 -Muslim Doctors Cymru ⭐- View the introduction video here
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
Lord Lieutenant of Gwent Award
This award was won by
Kasim Ramzan -Muslim Doctors Cymru
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.
Our Volunteering Officer Sam recently called in to Newport City Radio to talk more about the awards, the people and groups nominated, click the image below to hear the full interview again.
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
