We have launched our 2023 Rural Community Awards competition
The Housing Executive is delighted to launch our 2023 Rural Community Awards competition. We want to continue to celebrate the work of volunteers across NI who are quite often the ‘unsung heroes’ within our communities, going above and beyond to promote health and well-being, individual and community development, social inclusion and to help make life better for all residents
The following awards are available this year.
Rural Community Spirit The aim of this award is to focus on and reward those community groups who work together to make their village or small settlement a better place to live.
Consideration will be given to any aspect of community work which has been undertaken to improve the quality of life of residents, with particular emphasis on facilities, services and activities which have been made available for specific groups within the community.
Community Champion Our Community Champion award is open to extraordinary individuals nominated by the rural community group they represent. This person may regularly sacrifice free time to help others with no requirement for recompense or appreciation.
We see a community champion as someone who shares their time, skills and knowledge of a local community, to become a driving force to sustain and improve the community as a whole.
Cleaner & Greener The Cleaner & Greener Rural Community award seeks to reward and encourage those rural communities who have come together to protect and enhance their built and natural environment and to promote sustainability with their residents.
Prize money There will be a £1,000 prize for the winners of the northern and southern Community Spirit and Cleaner & Greener awards, and £500 will be donated to the community groups nominating the highly commended winning applicants.
Plaques will be presented to individual(s) who have been deemed to be community champions.
Prize money should be used to support and extend activities/projects which benefit the rural community. We will promote the competition throughout the year on our website and through relevant rural publications but community groups should also involve the Housing Executive in any publicity they carry out locally.
