Horsforth Town Council knows that it is important to
recognise the hard work and successes of local people making a difference for
Horsforth.
Each year we have acknowledged and highlighted these achievements through the Good Citizen and Young Achiever Awards.
Horsforth Town Council has reviewed the awards scheme and is launching a new scheme called "The Heart of Horsforth Award Scheme" to recognise and celebrate individuals and community groups who have made their mark on Horsforth. This could be someone who has worked selflessly for others in our community or someone who has brought credit to our town.
We welcome applications to recognise those who have gone above and beyond by noon on 2nd October 2024. The winners will be selected by the Community and Environment Committee and the awards will be presented at the Christmas Light Switch on event being held on Saturday 7th December 2024.
The Council would like to recognise the outstanding contributions of individuals and groups who would otherwise go unnoticed for their efforts in making Horsforth a great place to live. There are five distinct awards:
Volunteering award - For individuals or groups under the age of 21 who have made a difference to their community through their volunteering.
Volunteering award - For individuals or groups aged 21 and over who have made a difference to their community through volunteering.
Business Award – for a business which has supported or worked with the community
Community Award – for a voluntary organisation delivering a service to the community
Environmental Award - An individual or group who has led, delivered or supported work aimed at making Horsforth greener, cleaner or safer.
Our 2024 Winners
A massive congratulations to our 2024 Heart of Horsforth
Award winners!
It was a tough decision with so many fantastic entries from people doing incredible things for our town. Their dedication and hard work truly make Horsforth a better place for everyone. Well done to all the winners and nominees!
The winners are as follows:
The Volunteering Award (Under 21s) was awarded to Victória Martinho Vieira Da Cunha for her achievement of making the final 12 of the Children’s Young Mayor election process. She also presented in front of the Town Council and Leeds City Council Outer North West Committee which takes huge courage. These presentations have been an overview of her manifesto all about kids becoming more active.
The Volunteering Award (Over 21s) was awarded to Horsforth Community Garden for Janet and the team’s achievement in launching the Horsforth Community Garden, going above and beyond to create a wonderful garden that the whole community can benefit from. Whether they want to get involved in the growing fruit and vegetables in the garden, talking and educating people about growing, harvesting the produce or enjoying sitting peacefully in the space.
The Business Award was awarded to Right at Home Leeds North, Otley and Horsforth for their amazing work and helping so many people within the community, delivering excellent services to others.
The Community Award was awarded to Horsforth Churches Together for their hard work in bringing our great community of Horsforth together by running events and activities that are free and accessible for people of all ages.
The Environmental Award was awarded to Horsforth Climate Action for their amazing work in helping to make Horsforth greener, more sustainable and equitable.
The 2024 Heart of Horsforth Award winners have truly made a remarkable impact on the community. From inspiring young volunteers to creating a thriving community garden and promoting sustainability, these individuals and groups are truly deserving of recognition. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees, and a big thank you for all the hard work that contributes to making Horsforth such a vibrant and caring place to live.
The awards were originally scheduled to be presented at the Christmas Light Switch-On event, but they will now be presented at the next Full Council meeting in January 2025.
Information about the 2025 awards will be available soon!
Our 2023 winners
Good Citizen Awards went to Paul Beal for his work in recruiting defibrillator guardians to monitor CPADs, and Barbara Buckley for helping to improve the lives of many elderly and lonely people in Horsforth through the Monday Lunch Club amongst other initiatives.
Good Citizen Groups Awards were presented to Horsforth Sports Club Association Committee for the community work they do in Horsforth, and Horsforth in Bloom in recognition of the community work you do in Horsforth.
Finally, Finlay and Fergus Smith were both awarded the 2023 Young Achiever Award for their achievements representing the Junior GB squad at the IFMA World Muay Thai Championships.