Pride of Waltham Forest Awards back for 2025

The Pride of Waltham Forest Awards are back for 2025!

Do you know an individual, community group or business who goes above and beyond to make a difference in their community? Our Pride of Waltham Forest Awards 2025 provide the opportunity to shine a light and recognise our heroes who are doing amazing work in Waltham Forest.

Nominations are open now and close at 5pm on Friday 11 July.

Cllr Grace Williams, Leader of Waltham Forest Council, said, “Our diverse community and its people are the heartbeat that makes Waltham Forest the great place it is. We always see community spirit and togetherness in abundance in our local area. These awards are a celebration of our amazing borough. 

“I would encourage everyone to think about their local heroes: those who go above and beyond to make Waltham Forest a better place for all of us. If you know someone who deserves recognition, then submit a nomination today. Let’s shine a spotlight on the pride of Waltham Forest!”

There are nine categories that you can nominate for. They are:

Young Trailblazer Award: This award will celebrate a local young person between the ages of eight and 17, who has made a difference to their peer group or wider community, through volunteering, fundraising, outreach or engagement initiatives. 

This young individual is someone who has demonstrated dedication and a passion for making a positive impact on the lives of others. They may have volunteered locally in their neighbourhood, taken part in community initiatives, got together with their friends to tackle an issue they’ve recognised, or quietly made a difference to the lives of people in their local area. 

Enterprise for All Award: This award will recognise the achievements of a local business, an entrepreneur, or a social enterprise which demonstrates the most significant impact made in their market sector and to the local community.  

The award will celebrate what has been achieved that has set them apart from their competition, or excellence, innovation, and resilience in the face of challenges. Any businesses must have been trading since April 2023. 

Examples might be businesses or enterprises that have gone above and beyond in generating employment opportunities for residents, contributing to reducing their environmental impact in the borough, fostering community engagement or introducing innovative ideas in the sector. 

Health and Wellbeing Champion Award: This award recognises an individual that has gone above and beyond to improve health and wellbeing in Waltham Forest. They will have provided exceptional service and demonstrated outstanding dedication to the community, either as part of their paid work or through voluntary activity. Their efforts will have had notable impact on public health, whether mental or physical. 

Nominees might have helped combat loneliness, perhaps contributed to residents living healthier, longer and more independent lives, or eased access to services. They might be working as part of a wider group or organisation or in their own capacity. Their efforts might be in the form of advocacy, advice, public or private practice, or research. 

Greener Futures Award: This award is for the individual, group or business who has made the most significant efforts to make their local community a greener place to live and enjoy. This should entail practical action and real outcomes playing a vital role in tackling climate change. 

As examples you may have set up a new green community initiative, planted or cared for a vital habitat, created green spaces, encouraged and supported the uptake of active travel across Waltham Forest, or changed behaviours in support of the climate change agenda.   

Safer Neighbourhoods Champion Award: This award recognises residents or groups who have worked to improve safety, keeping our local communities safe. This might be through volunteering, training, working together with others, or running a community group where residents can access support. 

Maybe an individual has set up a neighbourhood watch, helped neighbourhood officers to understand pressure points, been involved in proactive measures to prevent crime or have promoted positive community relationships. Whatever shape their efforts have taken, they have helped to make Waltham Forest a safer borough for all. 

Community Champion of the Year: This award is to celebrate an individual, business or community group who is a passionate champion of their local area and made a difference in the lives of the people around them. 

This could be through leadership such as starting a tenant residents’ group or being the person or group who leads on tackling community issues on behalf of their community. 

The nominee may have made significant contributions to their local communities - demonstrating a strong commitment to improving the lives of their neighbours. 

Volunteer/s of the Year: This award celebrates a volunteer who has made a real difference to either their local community or organisations service user, going the extra mile to make a difference to the borough. Volunteers can be operating on behalf of any organisation which serves Waltham Forest, especially the most vulnerable residents in need of support. 

Volunteers might contribute any number of hours per week. They might work in a team or by themselves – perhaps helping to tackle climate change, loneliness, or by giving their time at a local cultural/community hub or picking litter. 

Volunteers may have inspired others to get involved with enthusiasm and passion, showing innovation, and collaboration. 

Cultural Connections Award: This award recognises the individual, group or organisation which has made the most notable efforts to bring residents together through cultural and creative initiatives. 

The activities may entail music, dance, drama, the visual arts, or any other creative and cultural or artistic practice. Judges will be interested in work among disadvantaged groups, and where collaboration is shown between public services, the cultural sector and children and young people, inspiring future creativity. 

Nominated residents or organisations work might take place across the borough or in a specific location, and will be celebrated for demonstrating cultural leadership, and community engagement which might be in an established venue, or they might be an artist working alone. 

Carer of the Year: This award recognises a person who has taken on a caring role, dedicating time and energy to care for family, friends, or someone in the wider community. 

Their caring duties might include things like administration, socialising, food shopping, or personal care. This person may have gone above and beyond to deliver a high standard of care, perhaps without recognition, making a difference in the life of the person or people they care for. 

This can include paid and unpaid carers.

Please note, in order to progress, your nominee must be available to attend an in-person awards ceremony at Waltham Forest Town Hall on Tuesday 16 September.

You can read about the winners from the Pride of Waltham Forest Awards in 2023 in this edition of Waltham Forest News.