The more cohesive a community is, the more empowered it becomes to bring together all the strands that make it whole and build together. It takes people and organisations to make sure this happens though, and this award is all about recognising the people and initiatives that are making links and strengthening them in communities to allow health and social care to be accessed by all.

What we are looking for in this award:

• Strong Partnerships – What successful collaborations have been built with community groups, other organisations, or services? Name specific partner organisations, describe joint initiatives, shared resources, or coordinated care approaches.
• Community Power – How have they helped communities take control of improving their own health and wellbeing? Include community-led initiatives they’ve supported, capacity-building work, or empowerment approaches.
• Better Health – What evidence shows that community health or social problems have improved because of their work? Provide health outcome data, social indicators, community feedback, or population-level improvements.
• Reaching Everyone – How have they helped people who struggle to access services get the help they need? Describe outreach programmes, accessibility improvements, or innovative delivery methods for hard-to-reach groups.
• Keeping Going – What shows this work will continue to benefit communities in the future? Consider sustainability plans, ongoing funding, community ownership, or systems changes that will outlast individual involvement.

Who can nominate and how?

Nominations can be made by community members, partner organisations, service users, or colleagues involved in the initiative or project.