Do you have a local hero? Nominations are sought from the Banbury area for the 'Love Where You Live' volunteer awards

The awards celebrate the hard work of volunteers and groups from Cherwell district and are organised by Sanctuary Housing and Cherwell District Council.

They want to hear about volunteers, neighbours and groups that make a real difference in the community.

Entries are welcomed in six categories, Volunteer of the Year; Young Volunteer (under 18); Voluntary Organisation of the Year; Lifetime Volunteer; Good Neighbour; and Community Venue of the Year.

Winners will be revealed in July where Good Neighbour award winners will each receive a £30 Love2Shop voucher and all other category winners £100 to donate to a local community group of their choice.

Charlie Heritage, Sanctuary’s neighbourhood partnerships manager, said: “We know there are so many selfless people in our community who enrich the lives of others and make a positive difference in Cherwell.

“Whether the pandemic has highlighted the importance of their work, or whether they have been helping others for much longer, we want to help you get them the recognition they deserve.”

Jane Portman, corporate director at Cherwell District Council said: “Volunteers have always been a key part of serving north Oxfordshire’s communities. In the past year, the importance of that has been brought into even sharper relief, so we are really hoping that people will nominate the people, places and organisations that have made the difference.

“This is a great opportunity to make sure those who have leant a helping hand when it matters most get the recognition they deserve.”

To nominate, visit www.sanctuary-housing.co.uk/cherwell-awards

Nominations close at 5pm on Wednesday, May 12. For updates, follow #CherwellAwards on Twitter. This project is part-funded by Sanctuary’s Community Investment Fund, supporting projects which benefit Sanctuary residents and their communities.