Connected Communities Celebration

The Connected Communities Celebration is about shining a light on the valuable contributions made by individuals, teams, organisations and businesses across the Malvern Hills District.

The most recent special community recognition events were held in June 2026, recognising those who dedicate their time, skills and energy to making a difference.

The two events honoured 87 recipients across a range of categories, including 32 individuals, 21 teams, nine community-minded businesses and six young people, as well as 19 Lifetime Achievement recipients whose combined service amounts to more than 500 years of volunteering and community involvement.

The recognition scheme attracted more than 120 nominations, with many individuals and organisations nominated multiple times by residents keen to acknowledge their impact on local communities.

Every nominee received a letter of thanks, a certificate and a special pin badge from Malvern Hills District Council’s Chairperson.

Nominations for the next event will open in January 2027.

Criteria:

• The individual or group you are nominating should have been volunteering or giving their time to others (for free) for a minimum of 6 months (this excludes the Young Person and Community Business categories).
• This scheme is to recognise the contributions of people and businesses within the Malvern Hills District Council area.
• We are looking for people that are going above and beyond, that are making a significant impact on people's lives and wellbeing in Malvern Hills District. This could be through supporting one individual or many.
• Nominees might contribute any number of hours per week.
• Nominated community groups/teams must be from not for profit organisations.
• Self-nominations will not be accepted.
• You must be 18 years old or over to nominate – if you are under 18, please ask your parent/guardian to nominate on your behalf.

Categories:

• Individual – we know that sometimes you want to celebrate an individual but cannot find a category that fits. This category is for any individual who has given their time (for free) or volunteered somewhere in the district area and has made a difference. If they have been contributing to their community for more than 6 months, tell us more about them.
• Young Person (25 years or under) – do you know a young person who cares for a family member, has volunteered through the Duke of Edinburgh scheme or perhaps has a more permanent or informal volunteering role. Whether it is a young person providing support to one person or many, we want to celebrate them.
• Lifetime Achievement – this category is aimed at shining a light on those individuals in the community who have been giving their time, to support their community, for many years. They may have taken on various volunteering roles in that time, or perhaps are always the first to organise the annual street party event or provide opportunities to bring their neighbourhood together.
• Team / Group - two or more volunteers or a board of trustees (not for profit organisations only). Do you know of a fantastic team or group that come together for the better of their community? Perhaps they have created a community garden space, regularly litter pick your area, provide a range of support to their local community, come together as trustees to provide crucial support to a charity and deserve to be celebrated, as a collective.
• Community Business - this recognises a company or sole trader whose dedication to supporting community groups or local communities has a positive impact on others. It honours businesses that understand their social responsibility and who are committed to creating meaningful change through their Corporate Social Responsibility programmes or day-to-day business activities. If you know of a business that demonstrates a genuine commitment to making a difference, we want to celebrate the positive work they do.

Read our Privacy Notice for Connected Communities Celebration