Spirit of Manchester Awards 2026 nomination form

Volunteer of the year criteria

Open to all volunteers within the city of Manchester. Volunteers should be nominated by the organisation that they volunteer for. Nominations must show:

• How they go above and beyond their role
• How they inspire and motivate others to volunteer
• The impact they have made

Volunteering team criteria

Volunteer teams should be nominated by the organisation they volunteer for. Nominations must show:

• How the team has made an impact to the organisation and the wider community
• Give a demonstration of how a team has worked together on a specific project/challenge
• Where the team have remained organised and shown innovation

Volunteer involving organisation criteria

Organisations can nominate themselves or be nominated by a volunteer. Nominations must show how the organisation:

• Promotes, retains and rewards volunteers/volunteering
• Makes volunteers feel part of the team
• Promotes volunteering through their vision and values

Young volunteer of the year criteria

Open to all volunteers within the city of Manchester (​up to the age of 25). Volunteers should be nominated by the group or organisation that they volunteer for. Nominations must show:

• How they go above and beyond their role
• How they inspire and motivate others to volunteer
• The impact they have made
• ​How they are improving the life chances of children and young people across the city of Manchester

The winner of this category will be chosen by the Spirit of Manchester Awards 2026 judging panel and notified in advance of the awards evening. 

Tackling inequalities criteria

We are looking for submissions that show us how they addressed issues of equality issues and challenged discrimination during the last year. This could include inequality on the basis of gender, age, ethnicity or poverty.

Inspiring campaign criteria

Organisations can nominate themselves or be nominated by someone else. Nominations must show how the organisation saw a need for change or action, what they did and how that has made a difference.

Creative community spirit criteria

Local individuals or groups who have developed a creative outlet or project to inspire hope and unity during the last year. Open to anyone who used a form of art (performance, craft or other artistic medium) to support others and the community around them.

Partnership and collaboration criteria

How have you worked in partnership or collaborated to make a difference and fulfil a need in your community? How did working in partnership mean your task was successful/more effective. Partnerships can be voluntary or community sector organisation working with the public sector, private company or another community group.

Community and business collaboration criteria

This award is to recognise the support private sector/businesses have given to VCSE organisations in Manchester. We are looking for VCSE organisations and businesses that are working well together to help make a difference in your community. Maybe it’s from volunteer days, support for building work, financial donation or ongoing commitment in other ways. Whilst we would welcome nominations from either party to highlight work done in the city of Manchester, we would especially welcome joint submissions that show how the relationship works and what both parties have learnt from working together.  

Nominations must show:                                

• What positive benefit and difference the business has made to the organisation‘s work. This might be from investment, sharing knowledge & skills, or time the business has given to the organisation
• How the business has been a champion for the VCSE organisation and the community or cause it supports.
• How collaboration creates benefit for the people of Manchester

Trustee/committe member of the year criteria 

Open to individual trustees/committee members of voluntary, community and social enterprise sector organisations within the city of Manchester. The trustee/committee member should be nominated by the organisation for whom they are a trustee/committee member. Nominations must show:

• What positive difference the trustee/committee member has made in the organisation
• What qualities, knowledge and skills they bring to the Board or Committee
• How they support other trustees/committee members and develop good governance
• How they are a champion for the organisation

By trustee/committee member we mean unpaid roles as trustees, committee members, board members or directors.

Service user involving organisation criteria

Organisations can nominate themselves or be nominated by a person who uses the organisation’s services. Nominations must show:

• How they involve the people who benefit from the service in delivery and shaping the service
• Examples such as including service users on the board, asking for feedback regularly or holding consultations. Have service users become staff / volunteers in delivering the service?

Social economy champion criteria

This award is for those organisations who trade and seek to make a surplus, but unlike traditional businesses, they reinvest all their profits to fight for positive social change. 

Nominations must show how the organisation creates positive change, and puts positive change at the centre of its work.

Nominees can include: social enterprises, social entrepreneurs, trading charities, co-operatives, community benefit societies and community businesses. Organisations can nominate themselves or be nominated by others.

Community cohesion criteria

For an individual or group who has done some great work to bring communities together to understand, appreciate and positively value each other. The work must have taken place in Manchester within the last 12 months. Nominations must show:

• Activities which have brought together people from across more than one community. These can be communities which are about a shared place, a shared identity or shared interests
• How they promote growing together in harmony rather than conflict and celebrate the diverse nature of the people who live, work and study in this city

Climate Action Award criteria

This award is dedicated to highlighting organisations that have identified a climate change, environmental conservation, or sustainability issue impacting the local community in Manchester and how they worked towards a solution. 

Areas of focus for projects may include: 

• Climate action initiatives that reduce pollution and carbon emissions 

• Projects fostering community engagement with nature and conservation 

• Activities that improve access to green spaces and promote biodiversity 

• Sustainable food systems and local environmental education 

• Building community resilience and cohesion through environmental stewardship 

Nominations must demonstrate at least one of the following: 

• Community impact and collaboration – inclusive engagement with residents, stakeholders, and community groups to address local needs to maximise impact

• Climate action and co-benefits – the innovative and holistic approach to addressing climate change, environmental conservation, and socio-economic issues

• Sustainability and legacy – the lasting effects of the project, its scalability and ongoing community benefits

The winner of this category will be chosen by the Spirit of Manchester Awards 2026 judging panel and notified in advance of the awards evening. 

The Dr Sylvia Sham Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Sector criteria

This category is for an individual and can be wider than their contribution in the last year. An organisation, colleague or service user can nominate the individual. Nominations must show how the individual has made a significant contribution to the voluntary and community sector. Please demonstrate what impact or change has been achieved. 
The winner of this category will be chosen by the Spirit of Manchester Awards 2026 judging panel and notified in advance of the awards evening. 

Our preference is to let you know by email if the person/organisation you have nominated has been shortlised.