Proud of Bucks Awards terms and conditions

It is important that you read the terms and conditions before submitting a nomination. By signing the nomination form (or ticking the box on the online form) you confirm that you have read and agree to these terms and conditions.

General

1. By submitting a nomination you confirm that all information submitted by you is true and complete, to the best of your knowledge.

2. By submitting a nomination you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of the award scheme.

3. Buckinghamshire Council reserve the right to disqualify any nomination if there are reasonable grounds to believe that there has been a breach of these terms and conditions.

4. Buckinghamshire Council reserve the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue (temporarily or permanently) the award scheme with or without prior notice due to reasons outside its control.

Communication and Data Protection

5. Buckinghamshire Council reserves the right to contact the nominator (person submitting the nomination) and nominee (person being nominated for an award) for purposes relating to the administration and promotion of the awards. This may include acknowledging receipt of nominations, contacting nominees and seeking permission to use information contained within the nomination to promote the awards.

6. Buckinghamshire Council reserves the right to write to every nominee to inform them of their nomination and provide them with the name of the person who has nominated them.

7. If the nominator is under 18, their nomination form must be submitted with the signature of a legal parent or guardian.

8. If the nominee is under 18, their legal parent or guardian will be asked to provide consent for the nominee to be included in the awards.

Eligibility Criteria

Self-nominations and nominations for close family members (i.e. a parent, child, sibling, spouse or partner) will not be accepted.

9. Nominations must be made in recognition of voluntary work that people have done, help they have given, or improvements they have made to communities within their local Community Board Area outside of their paid role from 1 July 2023 to 11 August 2024. You can find out more about Community Board Areas on the Buckinghamshire Council website.

10. For the Good Neighbour Award, the nominee must have been 21 years of age or older on or before 1 January 2024.

11. For the Young Champion Award, the nominee must have been younger than 21 years of age, on or before 1 January 2024.

12. For the Outstanding Group Award, the activities of the nominated group must be primarily voluntary and focused within the Community Board area.

13. Nominees can only be eligible for an award in one Community Board area.

14. Nominations for an individual’s personal achievements, e.g. in a sporting competition or academic field, will not be accepted.

15. In the spirit that these awards are about recognising and celebrating local Community Champions, nominations must be non-political in character. Therefore, nominations will not be accepted for elected Councillors, Members of Parliament, and the like. The Judging Panel reserves the right not to consider any nomination on the grounds that it may be regarded as in any way political.

Judging Criteria and Process

17. Each Community Board Area will have its own Judging Panel. The Judging Panel will be made up of representatives from the local Community Board, including:

  • Buckinghamshire Council members including Community Board Chairman
  • Community Board Service Director Champion
  • Voluntary and Community Service representative
  • Town and Parish representative
  • Community Board Manager (to organise judging process)

18. The Judging Panel will make the decision based upon the general principles of good citizenship (people who strive to make their communities safer, better and happier places).

19. The Judging Panel reserves the right to present the final number of awards appropriate to the nominations received, with a maximum of one overall winner within each category. All shortlisted nominees will be awarded a certificate.

20. The Judging Panel’s decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into concerning the outcome of the award decision.

21. The Judging Panel reserves the right to reallocate an award if a winner either chooses not to accept the award or refuses to allow the Community Board to publicly identify them as an award winner.

Announcement, Presentation and Publicity of Award Winners

22. The Judging Panel reserves the right to reject any nomination which is publicised independently of the awards process other than by prior agreement with the Community Board Manager.

23. Awards will be presented at local events in each of the Community Board areas in October/November 2024.

24. The Council will hold personal details of Nominators and Nominees until the awards have been presented and these will then be securely destroyed one year after this date. Historical information about previous winners will be retained indefinitely and promoted via such means as the Council’s website.

25. Personal information provided may be used in connection with the National Honours scheme and Buckinghamshire Council Community Boards with prior permission of the Nominator. This information will not be used for any purpose other than their administration and promotion (where permission is obtained).