About the Awards
The Locality Awards celebrate the most dedicated and inspiring people and organisations in the Locality network.
They step in when others look away, filling a need that’s not being met and creating spaces at the heart of our communities where lives are transformed.
What winners receive
Each Locality Award winner will receive:
- A trophy for recognition of their outstanding work
- £1,000 cash prize to invest in their community or organisation
All finalists and their achievements will also be celebrated and promoted throughout the Locality network, and may even receive a mention in the press.
Eligibility and nominating
To be eligible for all Locality Awards, organisations must be Locality Members with an Essentials or Membership Plus package. Please read the full terms and conditions before submitting a nomination.
If your organisation currently has the Network membership package, you are not eligible to be nominated for a Locality Award. Upgrading is easy - just contact members@locality.org.uk and we'll do everything for you.
Locality Awards '26 categories
Power of Community
Celebrating community organisations working with local people to shape their own future and to build a fairer society where everyone in the community thrives.
Transforming Lives
Celebrating community organisations whose support has had a significant impact on changing local people’s lives.
Building Inclusive Communities
Supported by Howden, this award celebrates community organisations that connect diverse groups of people and create inclusive spaces.
Enterprising Organisation
Supported by SpacetoCo, this award celebrates community organisations that have developed a creative business model that makes them successful and financially resilient.
Community Heritage
Supported by Historic England, this award celebrates community organisations that have used a locally listed or nationally designated heritage asset, or buildings or places within a conservation area, to improve the lives of their community. ‘Listed’ here means for their heritage value and not as Assets of Community Value.
To be nominated, the work of the community organisation does not need to be heritage-focused, but the heritage asset or conservation area needs to support them to meet their aims. For example, a community-based social care provider, based in a locally listed building, where the history of the building has provided the basis for some of the activities offered, or a group that supports community cohesion by running events in a registered park or garden.
How to submit a winning nomination
Nomination questions and guidance for each award category are in the tabs below.
If you’d like some personalised support, our experienced Membership Team is here to help. Email us at members@locality.org.uk with a copy of your nomination, and we'll be happy to offer feedback. But don’t leave it too late! Support is available only until 22 June, and demand will be high.
Focus on impact – use specific evidence, examples or testimonials
- let the story of the beneficiaries be heard
- quantify the organisation's achievements where possible.
Avoid jargon – keep it simple and authentic.
Highlight their qualities – is there anything unique that sets the organisation apart from others?
Write as if we don’t know the organisation – tell their story as if you are writing to someone who is unfamiliar with how brilliant and passionate they are.
Write in collaboration - discuss with others who know the organisation, for a strong nomination.
Proofread - always take the time to read back through the responses.
We want to hear your story, and we know that finding the time and words to write an award submission can be challenging. You are very welcome to use AI tools (such as Microsoft Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini) to support your application.
Choosing to use AI is entirely optional, and nominations will be judged solely on the strength and impact of the story told. Submissions will neither be rewarded nor penalised for using these tools; how you approach them is completely up to your own organisation's policy and stance on AI.
How AI can help you
- Beating the blank page: If you are unsure where to start, you can use AI to brainstorm ideas, map out your achievements, or structure your core narrative. You could ask the AI to act as an interview coach. You can prompt it to ask you questions about your project one by one, such as the challenges you faced, how your community responded, or what you are most proud of, to help extract the brilliant details you might otherwise forget to include.
- Polishing your draft: AI is good for checking spelling, improving clarity, or condensing your text to help you fit within the specific word limits.
- Matching the award criteria: You can paste the award guidelines into the AI and ask it for feedback to check whether your draft clearly addresses all the required points and demonstrates your impact.
- Translating data into a story: If you have raw numbers, such as headcount, survey percentages, or funding figures, AI can help you weave these statistics into a compelling narrative about the real people you have helped - follow your organisation’s data protection guidelines.
- Striking the right tone: If your initial draft feels a bit too informal, or conversely, too full of rigid sector jargon, you can ask AI to help you find a warm, professional balance that celebrates your team's hard work.
Keeping it authentic
AI should strengthen, not replace, your own insight. The Locality Awards celebrate deep community knowledge, local relationships, and real-world impact. Because AI-generated text can sometimes sound generic or overly corporate, always review and edit the output. It is your passion, local expertise, and unique community voice that will make your nomination stand out to the judges.
Staying safe online
Please ensure you follow your organisation’s data protection and AI guidelines. Never input sensitive, personal, or confidential data into free AI tools.
Ask a friend
Finally, remember to ask a colleague or partner to review your draft before you submit. Firsthand knowledge of your amazing work will always be your greatest asset!
Online nomination form
Page 1 Introduction text and instructions.
Page 2 Complete the contact details.
Page 3 Tell us a bit more about the nominated organisation and which award you are nominating for.
Page 4 Answer two questions specific to the award. The answers to these will be scored by our panel.
Page 3 Accept our terms and conditions and submit the nomination.
Page 3 of the Online nomination form asks
Write a short description to introduce the organisation to the panel. (50 words)
This question is not scored by our panel. The answer helps us to get to know them.
Consider telling us:
- Why they exist – what’s their passion, mission or purpose.
- A sample of the key activities or services they run.
- About their community.
- Any notable achievements they are proud of.
You won't get this all in 50 words – pick and mix what works for you.
1. How did the organisation involve the community in making decisions and in delivering projects? (150 words)
This question will be scored - it will make up 50% of the total score.
Tailor the response to this specific question. The highest scores will be given where there is a clear answer to the question with evidence.
Consider telling us:
- How they went about engaging people in your community.
- How they ensured everyone in their community could get involved.
- Statistics and stories of people involved that can evidence this work.
2. What impact has the organisation's work had in their community? (150 words)
This question will be scored - it will make up the remaining 50% of the total score.
The highest scores will be given where there is a clear tailored answer to the question with supporting evidence.
Consider telling us:
- Numbers or statistics that clearly show their impact.
- Testimonies from people in the community that demonstrate their impact.
- What is different in the community because of their work?
1. What impact has the organisation had on local people’s lives? Please provide evidence. (150 words)
This question will be scored by our panel and will make up 50% of the total score.
The panel will give the highest scores to answers where there is a clear tailored answer to the question with supporting evidence.
Consider including:
- What is different because of the organisation's work.
- Include metrics and other evidence that shows positive changes
2. How has the organisation transformed local people’s lives? Please provide specific examples of individuals or groups. (150 words)
This question will be scored by our panel and will make up the remaining 50% of the total score.
The panel will give the highest scores to answers where there is a clear tailored answer to the question with supporting evidence.
Consider telling us:
- Testimonies or feedback from people in the organisation's community.
- Stories to explain how they transformed lives.
1. How did the organisation support different people and groups, including across ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion, belief, gender, and/or sexual orientation? (150 words)
This question will be scored by our panel and will make up 50% of the total score.
The panel will give the highest scores to answers where there is a clear tailored answer to the question with supporting evidence.
Consider telling us:
- Who the organisation have worked with, their backgrounds and how you found out their needs.
- How they provide targeted support to meet their needs.
- What’s changed as a result of this work – use evidence and examples.
2. How has the organisation strengthened relationships between people whose experiences of life have not been the same? (150 words)
This question will be scored by our panel and will make up the remaining 50% of the total score.
The highest scores will be given where there is a clear answer to the question with examples as requested.
Tailor your response to this specific question. Consider telling us:
- Specific things the organisation has done to bring diverse groups of people together.
- Why they chose to do the things they did?
- What the impact has been?
We thank Howden for their support of this award.
1. What makes their business model unique? (150 words)
This question will be scored by our panel and will make up 50% of the total score.
The highest scores will be given where there is a clear answer to the question with evidence.
Consider telling us:
- The organisation's value proposition – what issue did they help, how did they tackle it differently?
- Data and stories to show how effective their business model is.
- Any collaboration or partnerships that help their model.
2. How has the organisation's business model had to change and what impact did this have? (150 words)
This question will be scored by our panel and will make up the remaining 50% of the total score.
The highest scores will be given where there is a clear answer to the question with examples as requested.
Consider telling us:
- Any changes the organisation made to your business model, and why they were necessary.
- Highlight how they were able to adapt to the changes.
- What is different because of their work?
- Provide testimonies to demonstrate how the local community have been impacted
We thank SpacetoCo for their support of this award.
1. Demonstrate how the community organisation improves the lives of local people. Please provide evidence of impact on the lives of individuals and groups. (150 words)
This question will be scored by our panel and will make up 50% of the total score.
The panel will give the highest scores to answers where there is a clear, tailored answer to the question with supporting evidence.
Consider including:
- What is different because of the organisation's work?
- Include metrics and other evidence that shows positive changes
2. Demonstrate how the heritage asset or conservation area helps the community organisation be strong and successful. Please provide evidence of how heritage helps the organisation make a positive difference to the lives of local people. (150 words)
This question will be scored by our panel and will make up 50% of the total score.
The panel will give the highest scores to answers where there is a clear, tailored answer to the question with supporting evidence.
Consider telling us:
- Numbers or statistics that clearly show the organisation's impact.
- Testimonies from people in the community that demonstrate your impact.
- What is different in the community because of your work?
We thank Historic England for their support of this award.
All nominations must be submitted on this online nomination form.
Once you press submit, your nomination will be sent to the Locality team, who will be in contact with you within seven working days to confirm receipt of the nomination.
- Monday 22 June - last day to get personalised support before submitting your nomination.
Email us at Members@locality.org.uk with a copy of your nomination, and we'll be happy to offer feedback.
- Wednesday 1 July, noon - nominations close.
The shortlist will be announced in autumn before Convention '26. Three finalists will be selected in each category and invited to the Locality Awards dinner.
- Tuesday 1 December- the winners will be announced at the Locality Awards ceremony, during Locality ’26 – our annual convention in Leicester.
Be inspired by the winners of Locality Awards '25
Find out who won the Locality Awards '25 in Liverpool.
-
Power of Community
The Power of Community award celebrates community organisations working with local people to shape their own future and to build a fairer society where everyone in the community thrives.
Winners
High Trees Community Development Trust launched the Lambeth Peer Action Collective alongside partners, with an aim to empower local young people to tackle violence. Young people themselves gained skills and opportunities by researching violence locally, campaigning and influencing policy makers. They even allocated £150,000 of funding to make long-lasting change in their local area.Runners up:
Rotunda
Tree Shepherd -
Transforming Lives
The Transforming Lives award celebrates community organisations whose support has had a significant impact on changing local people’s lives.
Winners
St Paul's Community Development Trust has supported families in Balsall Heath, Birmingham for over 50 years. Last year, through education, a city farm, and wellbeing and family services, they improved the lives of 3,200 people, providing hope, healing and connection.Runners up:
Be The Change Youth Project
C-Change West London -
Building Inclusive Communities
Supported by Howden. This award celebrates a community organisation that supports diverse groups of people and creates inclusive spaces.
Winners
The Ethnic Minority Council work in the West Midlands to support underrepresented and marginalised communities. Through a huge range of activities like remembrance events, regular groups and museum exhibitions, they help thousands of people who might never otherwise have met to share stories, challenge assumptions, and build meaningful relationships.Runners up:
Halifax Opportunities Trust
Liberdade Community Development Trust -
Enterprising Organisation
This award celebrates a community organisation that has developed a creative business model that makes them successful and financially resilient.
Winners
Community Ventures in Middlesbrough responds to local need – when residents told them housing was their biggest challenge, they secured nearly £2 million in social investment and brought 38 empty homes back into use. They even opened a community shop to supply appliances and furniture, providing homes, jobs and hope.Runners up:
Acton Arts Project
Impact Hub Yorkshire -
Community Heritage
New for 2025 and supported by Historic England, the Community Heritage award celebrates community organisations that have used a heritage building or space to improve the lives of their community.
Winners
The Winchester Project (The Winch) rescued Belsize Community Library from closure in 2012. Originally built in 1937, its open-plan layout strengthens local connections, allowing people attending different activities to bump into each other. Its baby groups, Faarsi and Hebrew storytimes, weekly ‘Crafternoon’ and music nights now attract 10,000 people a year to read, learn, gather and connect.Runners up:
Byrne Avenue Baths
Acumen Community Buildings
Bramley Baths and Community Trust