Covid-19 Community Champions

  Community Champions celebration evening

Many thanks to everyone who attended our celebration evening. We had a great evening with some fantastic and inspiring presentatiions and if you would like to see what happened, please click here for the recording of the evening.

We would like to thank Anne Burnett, Deputy Lieutenant for opening the evening and welcoming all the attendees; David Latham, Chair of Trustees Northampton Partnership Homes for such a thought provoking speech about why he became a volunteer and the power of volunteering; and finally our three Community Champion volunteer speakers who were so amazing and inspirational:

You can download a copy of the Covid-19 Community Champions booklet that brings together the stories, words and pictures from all the community groups and individuals who entered our awards. We are very grateful to Jordan Ciacci, Northampton Partnership Homes, for all his work on designing the booklet. We hope you enjoy reading about the many wonderful volunteers who came forward to help their more vulunerable neighbours during the pandemic and in many cases continue to do so.

The recording of the evening can be accessed here.


Join our Community Champions celebration evening

Tuesday 20th July 2021, 6pm to 7.30pm

Via Zoom

We are holidng an online celebration event for all our Covid-19 Community Champions to say thank you to them for all the amazing work they did during the pandemic, Every group and individual who entered received a Community Champions certificate similar to the one here. We also brought all their stories together into a Community Champions booklet and each entrant wil receive a paper copy of the booklet. We are very grateful to Jordan Ciacci at Northampton Partnership Homes for designing the final booklet.

If you would like to hear more about the work of these volunteers and show your own appreciation, why not join us at our celebration evening. To book a place please email [email protected] and we will send the Zoom link through.

The agenda for the evening:

  • Welcome and Introductions, Elaine O'Leary, Chief Executive, Northamptonshire ACRE
  • Opening speech from Mrs Anne Burnett, Deputy Lieutenant of Northamptonshire
  • The Community Champions booklet and awards, Elaine O'Leary
  • Video presentation of some of the groups that entered the awards
  • Volunteering and the community, David Latham, Chair of the Board, Northampton Partnership Homes
  • Presentations from four Community Champion groups:
    • Natasha Tyrell, Genii Home Care
    • Mavis Mundirwa, Power of the Mind Network
    • Brenda Woolf, Roade Community Larder
    • Teresa McCarthy-Dixon, The McCarthy-Dixon Foundation
  • Video presentation of remaining groups
  • Closing remarks and thanks, Gareth Lugar-Mawson

PRESS RELEASE

Celebrating Northamptonshire’s COVID-19 Community Champions

Date Published: 4 June 2020

To celebrate the work that so many volunteers are doing during this pandemic to help their neighbours, Northamptonshire ACRE is launching Northamptonshire’s COVID-19 Community Champions. Groups across the county are invited to share details of the many ways they are supporting the more vulnerable in their community. Examples of support can be in whatever way a group chooses, whether through stories, photos, video diaries or brief statements and examples of the best community support will be brought together into a booklet celebrating Northamptonshire’s volunteer champions.  All entrants will receive a Community Champions certificate and will be invited to take part in a celebration evening Northamptonshire ACRE will host in Spring 2021.

Northamptonshire ACRE recognises the amazing work that the County’s groups of volunteers are doing to support the more vulnerable members of their community during these unprecedented times. We invite all COVID-19 response groups, Mutual Aid groups, Good Neighbour schemes and villages to participate and showcase their community initiatives.  To be part of the celebrations simply download the online form at https://www.northantsacre.org.uk/covid-19 and enclose a supporting statement along with photos, videos or social media links that highlight how your group or village has supported your community during the pandemic. An example might be a lockdown video diary or photographs of foodbank volunteers delivering food parcels to neighbours.  Entrants can nominate what they believe to be their best example of community spirit.

All groups taking part will be invited to an evening of celebration hosted by Northamptonshire ACRE at the Hunsbury Hill Centre in Spring 2021 where they will be able to receive their Community Champions certificate and a copy of the Community Champions booklet.

Elaine O’Leary, Chief Executive of Northamptonshire ACRE said ‘As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we postponed the annual Northamptonshire Village Awards until next year. But we felt we wanted to mark this period of historic significance and showcase all the valuable work that so many are doing to support their community.  The Northamptonshire COVID-19 Community Champions will give us an opportunity to thank those volunteers who have continued to give support to the most vulnerable in our communities at a difficult time’. 

The deadline for entries is 31st August 2020. We look forward to receiving your entry.

--- Ends---