Recognition Awards

At Volunteer Marlborough, we believe that volunteers are the heart of our communities. They give their time, skills, and passion to help others - often without expecting anything in return. That's why we think it's important to pause, reflect, and celebrate the incredible people who are making a difference every day.

Our recognition awards are all about shining a light on the unsung heroes - from those who've been quietly supporting their communities for years, to young people just beginning their journey of service, to teams who work together to create lasting impact.

Throughout the year, we offer a couple of ways to recognise and celebrate the people who give so much:

Marlborough Community & Volunteer of the Year Awards (MCVOYA)

Celebrating the champions who make Marlborough shine!

Each year, Volunteer Marlborough hosts the Marlborough Community & Volunteer of the Year Awards (MCVOYA) - a celebration of the incredible individuals, teams, and organisations who give their time, passion, and energy to build a stronger, kinder, and more connected community.

This is our chance to say a public, heartfelt "thank you" to those who go above and beyond - whether they're volunteering behind the scenes or leading the charge in making positive change happen.

Why nominate?

These awards are a meaningful way to honour the mahi of everyday heroes. They offer the community a special moment to come together and celebrate the contributions, commitment, and impact of:

Inspiring individuals of all ages
Volunteer teams and business groups
Local community organisations working in creative, collaborative ways

Whether it's someone who's shown outstanding personal growth through volunteering, a group that's preserved our local environment, or a business that regularly encourages its team to give back - we want to their story!

Award Categories

Community Awards

Recognising not-for-profit organisations and community groups who demonstrate outstanding service and collaboration within the following categories:

  • Arts, Culture & Heritage
  • Environment & Conservation
  • Sport & Recreation
  • Child & Youth Development
  • Community Social Services

Volunteer of the Year Awards

Celebrating the individual and collective impact of volunteers across Marlborough in a range of categories:

  • Outstanding Youth Volunteer
  • Team Titans
  • Sports Stars
  • Marvellous Migrants
  • Terrific Trustees
  • Awesome Arts
  • Business Bravo
  • Personal Achievement

All nominations are included in the Volunteer of the Year category.

Who can be nominated?

  • Community Awards - any not-for-profit group or organisation that serves the Marlborough community, especially those with a strong volunteer component
  • Volunteer of the Year Awards - any individual, volunteer team, or business group who has contributed to a community group, organisation, school, church, or local initiative

Who can nominate?

Nominations are open to anyone in the Marlborough community - and you don't need to be a member of Volunteer Marlborough to take part!

How to nominate

Nominations open: Monday 7 April 2025

Nominations close: Friday 16 May 2025 at 7:00pm

All nominations must be submitted online at the following links:

Click HERE to nominate for the COMMUNITY AWARDS

Click HERE to nominate for the VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Volunteer of the Month

Shining a light on local legends

Every month, we celebrate an outstanding individual (or team!) who gives their time, energy, and heart to making our community better. Whether it's coaching a kids' sports team, running the sausage sizzle at school, helping out at the local op shop, lending a hand at a community garden, or any number of other things - we want to hear about them!

Who can be nominated?

Anyone who volunteer their time for a community organisation, sports club, school, church, or other group in Marlborough. Age doesn't matter! Experience doesn't matter. What matters is that they're making a difference - big or small.

How it works:

  • Nominations are open all year round - if someone doesn't get selected right away, don't worry! We keep all nominations on file for 12 months
  • Each month, one amazing volunteer (or team of volunteers) will be selected and celebrated as our Volunteer of the Month
  • We'll feature their story on our website, across our social media channels, and often in local print media - so everyone gets to see how awesome they are!
  • A photo will be taken of the winner to help us share their story (and their smile!)

It's our way of saying thank you - and giving a bit of well-deserved spotlight to the everyday heroes in our community.

Ready to nominate someone incredible?

CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE NOW!