What are the Big Society Awards?
The Big Society award has been created to recognise individuals, groups or organisations that are demonstrating the Big Society in their work or activities.
What is the Big Society?
The Big Society is about moving power away from central government and giving it to local communities and individuals. It has three main aims:
Empowering communities – helping and enabling local people to have more of a say in how decisions are made in their area and about the services they receive.
Changing and opening up public services – encouraging public sector organisations and individuals to demonstrate new and innovative ways of delivering public services and enabling charities, social enterprises, private companies to deliver public services.
Promoting social action – encouraging people to be more involved in their communities and to volunteer and give money.
Who can make a nomination?
Anyone, including people who benefit from the group, organisation or individuals activities, may make a nomination.
Nomination should have at least one other independent person that has agreed to second the nomination. This person should not be on the committee of your organisation or be family or close friends.
You can nominate yourself or the organisation you run, work for or are involved with but, if you do, there must always be two independent people that have agreed to second the nomination.
Occasionally, the Prime Minister may himself personally nominate an organisation that he believes exemplifies the Big Society.
