Community’s unsung heroes saluted at awards ceremony

Unsung heroes working in the voluntary sector have been recognised at an awards ceremony organised by Community Action Derby.

With support from Derby Homes, CA Derby recently staged the Derby Voluntary Sector Awards 2025 at Derby Museums’ Museum of Making.

The awards aim to celebrate the volunteers, community champions and initiatives that have made a positive difference to them, or to their community.

The 15 winners this year were selected from almost 200 nominations and reflect the amazing community spirit across the city.

The evening shone a spotlight not only on individual volunteers, but also charities, grassroots initiatives, community groups, sports clubs, arts organisations and more – highlighting the broad and varied work carried out by Derby’s charity sector.

Kim Harper, chief executive of CA Derby, said: “Every year I’m inspired by the dedication, kindness and creativity shown by people across Derby who give their time and energy to help others and make a difference.

“The awards night is always a highlight of the year for me – an opportunity to pause, reflect, and recognise the incredible contribution of volunteers, community groups, and voluntary organisations across our city.

“They truly are the heart and soul of Derby, especially at a time when the world needs community more than ever.

“At Community Action, we see the difference they make every day, so it’s brilliant to be able to shine a spotlight on them and say thank you.”

Awards were presented by a variety of special guests, including the Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire, Elizabeth Fothergill, who presented the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Among the winners was long-standing South Asian arts charity Surtal Arts, which was presented with the Arts, Culture and Heritage Award.

Nigel Farrow, who has been a trustee of Umbrella for 30 years, was recognised with the Trustee of the Year Award.

And University of Derby law student Rashifa Ali won the Young Volunteer Award (Age 15 to 24) for leading the Schools Taskmaster project, inspiring local school pupils through creative legal education and peer leadership.

For a full list of all the winners, visit http://www.communityactionderby.org.uk/awards-2025.