Congleton Town Council’s annual Civic Awards Scheme celebrates volunteers who make valuable contributions to the Congleton community. The awards will be presented by the town mayor at a special ceremony, as part of the Annual Town Meeting on Thursday, 14 May 2026. Recipients will receive a certificate and a commemorative lapel pin badge.
Please note that the 2026 award nominations have now closed. We will update the page with the 2026 winners in due course. Nominations for 2027 will open around March ’27, and the online application form will be made available once the nominations are open.
Use the online form below to nominate. Before completing the form, please read the award criteria. A link to the nomination form will be here when the awards open for 2027.
**Awards Currently Closed
Members of the public are encouraged to nominate individuals for the awards in recognition of their unpaid contributions, whether in support of the town and community as a whole or a specific group of people.
How to Make Your Nomination Stand Out
The Civic Awards celebrate people and groups who go above and beyond to make Congleton a better place. Now it’s your chance to shine a spotlight on someone who deserves recognition!
Spelling and grammar will not be scored—the focus is on the impact your nominee has made. Share your story, celebrate their achievements, and help us recognise the people who make Congleton shine!
There are seven main award categories and one special category. The judging panel typically presents one award per category but may, at its discretion, grant multiple awards in a category. The categories are:
Community Involvement Award – This award recognises someone who plays a key role or takes significant responsibility in a community effort. This could include organising community events, improving facilities for a neighbourhood, supporting a charity in their own time, or offering help to individuals in need.
Young Volunteer Award– This award is for a young person (under 25) who actively contributes to the community on an ongoing basis, whether as part of a group or individually. It could be someone who directly helps others, joins in with groups to improve the area, or supports events and activities.
Art and Culture Award– This award recognises an individual who dedicates their time to music, art, dance, crafts, or heritage activities that benefit the community. This could include someone running a theatre group, organising an art exhibition, creating new history trails, or putting together a music festival, among other contributions.
Environment Award – This award honours an individual who dedicates their time to conservation, sustainability, biodiversity, or the enhancement of our green spaces. This could include efforts such as establishing a recycling initiative, leading a carbon emissions reduction project, delivering active travel initiatives, or organising gardening and planting projects.
Wellbeing Award – This award recognises an individual who supports the health, fitness, or overall wellbeing of others. This could include someone who leads a sports team, establishes a peer support group, provides one-to-one support to vulnerable people, or contributes to local health initiatives.
Good Neighbour Award – This award celebrates an individual who volunteers in a local, personal way, such as shopping for elderly or disabled neighbours, cleaning and weeding their street, or organising street parties and community gatherings.
Team Award – Recognises a team or group of people who work together to deliver a community effort. This could include organising community events, improving the environment, supporting vulnerable people, or improving facilities for a neighbourhood.
Unsung Hero Award – This special award is presented at the discretion of the judging panel. It is not open for direct nomination. Instead, one of the nominees for another award, who has worked tirelessly and selflessly without seeking recognition, may be honoured with this award for their significant and ongoing efforts.
Offline submissons can be handed in at Congleton Information Centre, or emailed to: mayor@congleton-tc.gov.uk, or posted to:
Congleton Town Council (Mayor’s Civic Awards) Town Hall High Street Congleton CW12 1BN
The winners were presented with their awards at the annual town meeting on 15 May 2025.
Please note – The team award was added for 2026. Previous Civic Award winners are not eligible to be nominated for the following year in the same category. This ensures new volunteers have the chance to be recognised!
Community Involvement Award: Sue Taylor – a guiding light in Girl Guiding for decades.
Young Volunteer Award: Jack Mead – for his environmental and community work at Hillary Avenue Friendship Garden.
Environment Award: Patti Pinto – a passionate advocate for sustainable greening, Congleton in Bloom, and biodiversity.
Wellbeing Award: Dr. Deborah Lawson – for championing accessibility and inclusion in Congleton and her unwavering commitment to supporting others.
Good Neighbour Award: Lesley Turner – for founding the Friends of Bromley Farm Hub and creating a space of belonging and support.
Unsung Hero Award: Ruth Benson – for her quiet leadership of the Trees for Congleton campaign, responsible for planting over 30,000 trees across the town.
