The 2024 Award winners have been announced
Award Categories
Nominations are now open for applications. The 2024 Good Relations Awards include a total of five categories. You can submit a nomination by selecting “Nominate” in the relevant category below. We would particularly welcome nominations from the T:BUC family of programmes.
Community Relations Council Exceptional Achievement Award (peacebuilding)
This category has been awarded annually since 2006 by the Community Relations Council. It aims to recognise individuals who are instrumental in developing new pathways to peace and reconciliation, demonstrating sustained and long-term commitment to community relations work beyond a single community, across Northern Ireland and/or across the border region. Previous winners have influenced thinking on peacebuilding and community relations issues and embody the values of the Community Relations Council: fairness and justice (Equity); the peaceful celebration of variety and difference (Diversity); and the importance of sharing trust and inclusion (interdependence).
Good Relations Volunteer of the Year Award
In association with Volunteer Now, this Award aims to recognise the outstanding commitment of a volunteer who is focused and dedicated to peacebuilding, and who supports Good Relations programmes and initiatives in their local community. This Award will recognise an individual who helps to create a community that promotes mutual respect and understanding. They will have brought people together, changing attitudes and embracing difference, developing mutual respect and understanding, strengthening and enhancing the celebration of cultural expression and diversity, all as an unpaid volunteer.
Good Relations Community Champion Award
In association with NICVA, this Award aims to recognise the long-standing, positive difference an individual has made to supporting Good Relations in their local area. This person is the driving force and leader for Good Relations in their local area, creating a community that promotes mutual respect and understanding, is strengthened by its diversity, and where cultural expression is celebrated and embraced. This person regularly goes over and above to champion the community, while also supporting others and bringing them on the good relations journey. They may be a volunteer or be employed in this work.
Good Relations Youth Award (Under 25)
In association with NI Youth Forum, this Award aims to recognise and celebrate young people under the age of 25 who are delivering positive Good Relations work in their community. The Award can be for either: an individual; a group of young people; a school; a youth club; or a youth-focused organisation. The nominee’s peacebuilding activity will have helped to create a community that promotes mutual respect and understanding, is strengthened by its diversity, and is somewhere cultural expression is celebrated and embraced. They bring people together, helping to develop mutual respect and understanding, and enhancing the celebration and embracing of diversity.
Good Relations Connecting Communities Project of the Year Award
In association with the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, this Award recognises a group of local people who have formed a project or delivered an activity that brings together a community to promote mutual respect and understanding, is strengthened by its diversity, and where cultural expression is celebrated and embraced, thus benefiting others in their community. The judges would particularly encourage projects that focus on welcoming new communities or on bringing generations together, building good relations and dealing with peacebuilding issues within the community.