Community Volunteer Awards: Blackburn finalists await 5 November

Culture & Events Desk 2026-10-06 14:02 3 min read

A stylized yellow paper award ribbon on a solid light blue background.

From Scout groups and hospice volunteers to community fridges and carers’ services, Blackburn with Darwen’s volunteer awards shortlist brings together people whose work supports life across the borough. Winners of the Community Volunteer Awards 2026 will be revealed at King George’s Hall in Blackburn on Thursday 5 November 2026.

The presentation evening will celebrate finalists and their contributions to local communities. For finalists and community members interested in attending, the council’s announcement does not provide a start time, ticket price, booking process, public-entry arrangements, transport guidance or accessibility details.

More than 400 nominations lead to November’s ceremony

According to Blackburn with Darwen Council News, more than 400 nominations were received. Judging took place on Thursday 10 September, organised in partnership between Community CVS and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, with representatives from all event sponsors on the panel.

Community CVS chief executive Garth Hodgkinson said the range and quality of nominations had made selecting finalists difficult. He thanked those who nominated individuals, groups and organisations, and looked ahead to celebrating their commitment at the November ceremony.

Community Volunteer Awards: Blackburn finalists await 5 November

Council leader Councillor Phil Riley also recognised the contribution of every nominee, highlighting the time and energy volunteers give to supporting others. The shortlist was published on Thursday 1 October, ahead of the awards presentation.

The finalists across six community themes

The published shortlist separates individual and group recognition under People, Prosperity, Planet, Peace, Place and Participation. For readers looking for a familiar name or organisation, these are the finalists in each theme:

People — individuals: Olive Bolton, Girl Guides Darwen; Luca Morini, SEND Youth Voice Forum; Graham Neild, Blackburn Districts Scouts. Groups: Age UK BwD; Darwen Ducks; East Lancs Hospice Creative & Support Therapies Volunteers.
Prosperity — individuals: Paulina Blasczak, Darwen Kindness Younited; Lisa Brabook, No.1 Coffee Shop; Susan Marsh, Shelter. Groups: Bam UK; Maggie’s Community Fridge; No1 Coffee Shop.
Planet — individuals: Maryam Abdulrashid, BwD Recycle Campaign; Sarah Muir, Shadsworth Community; Fiona Taylor, Darwen Kindness Younited. Groups: Canalside Activity & Environment Centre; East Lancs Hospice Darwen Shop; Rummage Rescuers.
Peace — individuals: Hina Ashfaq, BwD Carers Service; Rob Freedman, MMA; Naseem Khan, UCTV. Groups: Blackburn Magistrates Witness Service; Rummage Rescuers; Orange Button Volunteers of Blackburn with Darwen.
Place — individuals: Joanne Bates and Stephen Bates, both No. 1 Coffee Shop; Lisa Johnson, St James Community Centre. Groups: Brama Group; Mill Hill Festival; Veterans Living Museum.
Participation — individuals: Lawrence Ashworth, Blackburn District Scouts; Fiona Dunn, Belmont Morris Dancers; Adam Esat, Blackburn Youth Zone. Groups: Blackburn District Scouts; BwD Police Amateur Boxing Club; St Francis Scouts.

Some names appear in more than one part of the shortlist. Rummage Rescuers is listed under both Planet and Peace, while No. 1 Coffee Shop is represented through group and individual nominations.

Young volunteers and lifetime service also feature

The Young Person finalists are Scott Dingle of No. 1 Coffee Shop, Adam Esat of Blackburn Youth Zone and Ben Stubbs of Immanuel Scout Group. Esat also appears in the Participation individual shortlist.

For Lifetime Achievement, the finalists are Paddy Holden of Victim Support, Margaret Jepson of Samaritans and Eileen Walsh of BwD Girl Guiding. These names sit alongside the theme-based categories in the council’s published announcement.

Three further honours will be revealed on the evening: Volunteer of the Year, Group of the Year and the CVS Special Award for Outstanding Service. The announcement does not name recipients for these awards in advance.

The next confirmed milestone at King George’s Hall

For finalists following the results, the next confirmed milestone is the presentation evening on Thursday 5 November at King George’s Hall. The published shortlist identifies those being recognised ahead of the ceremony; winners will be announced at the event.

Source: Blackburn with Darwen Council News

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source and event details

The preview uses the supplied council announcement for the ceremony date, venue, finalists and award details.

Checks

The announcement confirms Thursday 5 November 2026 and King George’s Hall.
Finalist names and affiliations follow the published shortlist.
Volunteer of the Year, Group of the Year and the CVS Special Award will be revealed on the...
Attendance logistics absent from the announcement are identified together near the top.

Blackburn with Darwen Council News Search for independent event coverage