Hard choices for judges finding community champions
Last updated 09:20, Friday, 10 October 2008
NOMINATIONS have closed for the Cumbria Community Awards, and judging is now underway.
With more than 80 entries to choose from, judges had a tough job on their hands when they met for the first time today.
Over the next few days, they will choose two finalists in each category, to be contacted in the next week.
Georgina Ternent, awards organiser for Cumbria County Council, said: “The quality of the entries has been extremely high this year. There are so many inspirational people – the judges are in for quite a challenge.”
The panel of nine judges includes joint Volunteers of the Year 2007, Joan Humse and Betty Armstrong.
They won last year’s prize for their work running the Moorclose Community Centre in Workington.
They will be joined by high-profile figures like Graham Lamont, the High Sheriff of Cumbria and former leader of the county council Tim Stoddart.
Their chosen candidates will be invited to a gala dinner on November 13 at the Rheged Centre in Penrith.
She added: “It should be a lovely evening.
“We’ll have a three course, sit-down dinner and a champagne toast to all the finalists.
“They won’t know until the night who the winners are in each category.
“But as far as I’m concerned, they’ve all done amazingly well.”
The finalists will be welcomed by Peter Stybelski, chief executive of Cumbria County Council, before the awards are presented in the Rheged IMAX cinema.
Now in its second year, the Cumbria Community Awards celebrate the hard work and dedication of hundreds of volunteers across the county. Twelve awards will be handed out in total, in categories including Volunteer and Young Volunteer of the Year.
