The awards, which recognise and celebrate the wide-reaching impact of Rotherham’s Voluntary and Community Sector, were presented at a ceremony on Friday 18th March 2022 at The Aesseal New York Stadium, a slightly delayed ceremony due to the pandemic.

In all, there were over 50 nominations for the awards from a variety of community groups, organisations and individuals from across the borough. 

During an extraordinary year, volunteers stepped in to help and gave countless hours to meet the needs of our Rotherham communities. As a result, two groups, The Rotherham Covid-19 volunteers and the Rotherham Heroes were celebrated alongside the winners and received special awards at this year’s ceremony.

The panel of independent judges consisted of Kelly Rodgers, Rotherham Together Partnership; Andrew Mosley, Editor at Rotherham Advertiser; and Adrian Dexter, Senior Pastor at Liberty Church.

Shafiq Hussain, Chief Executive Voluntary Action Rotherham added “It’s always a very humbling and inspiring evening recognising the efforts of the voluntary and community sector in Rotherham, the projects and work they do and the vital role that volunteers – young and older – play in our town.

All of the nominees are winners, their work, commitment and dedication helps to make Rotherham the great place that it is.”

The 2021 Rotherham Community Achievement Award winners are:

Young Volunteer |  Millie Bell 

Millie has volunteered with the Children, Young People and Families Consortium and engaged in the Different But Equal Board for the past 2 years. She has participated in numerous projects and activities where her voice and involvement has directly influenced and positively impacted project outcomes, opportunities for young people and the services which they receive. Millie naturally adds value through active engagement and sharing of skills and knowledge relevant to the project at hand, whilst also gaining experience which allows her to broaden her scope of involvement and applicability in a large variety of projects.

Finalists: Brody Connell, Coburn Hunter & Hannah Fieldhouse

Volunteer | Alec Senior 

Pre- pandemic, Alec worked tirelessly to make sure 4 Dementia Cafes in Maltby, Dalton, Thurcroft and Wath Upon Deane, were great places to be for people living with Dementia and their carers. As a Dementia carer himself he knows how cruel this disease can be for the person living with Dementia and for carers and family members. Alec could see that life was becoming difficult during the pandemic for many who had previously attended the cafes. He set up a system of daily befriending telephone calls to Dementia Carers. He offered support, practical help where needed and most importantly, he offered a listening ear, making sure carers knew that they may be with their loved ones 24/7, but they were not forgotten and they were not alone.

Finalists: Farheen Khan and Raja Khan

Project | Families First 

Families First is a very special yet small project in Rotherham. The aim is to provide small household appliances, books, bedding, toys and other small non-food items to local Rotherham families who need them. Another fantastic service Families First provides is the Rotherham Christmas Toy Appeal. This works by family workers nominating a child in need to receive a Christmas present, where the parent or guardian may not be able to provide one that year. This project is volunteer led and has run on a shoe string. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic the Rotherham Christmas Toy appeal went ahead last year and the volunteers managed to provide 1600 children/young people with gifts to open on Christmas morning.

Finalists: Social Supermarket and Rotherham Young Inspectors