Who Will Be “In It To Win It?”
Would you love to make 2025 an extra Happy New Year for an outstanding individual, charity or company?
Well, the good news is that you can! Today the Trustees of the Lincoln Civic Award launched their search to find this year’s winner and lucky recipient of this stunning and highly coveted award, who can expect to be on the receiving end of a flood of congratulations.
In addition, if a charity or company, or social-media savvy individual receives this honour – which will be presented to them by the Mayor of Lincoln Councillor Alan Briggs at a special ceremony in the city’s historic Guildhall – they can use it, or it can be used to raise awareness of their work now and in the future.
Lincoln Civic Award Trustees Chair Henry Ruddock said: “Their name will also be added to an impressive roll of honour which already features some great individuals, charities and companies. Many of these have taken Lincoln’s name and reputation to the wider world over the years.”
The Civic Award was first instigated by the late Frank Eccleshare in 1966, when the former mayor wanted a trophy to be awarded annually to an outstanding individual, organisation or company which had brought credit to Lincoln.
In 2024, ACTS Trust CEO Simon Hawking received the Civic Award on behalf of the not-for-profit organisation and its 250 volunteers, from the outgoing Mayor Councillor Biff Bean.
The Award Trustees chose the Trust as the latest winner of this prestigious accolade after much deliberation, after they were faced with a bumper crop of nominations, which resulted in a lively debate.
“The main focus of ACTS is the alleviation of poverty, but that doesn’t just mean financial poverty. It can also include other aspects including social, self-worth, spiritual and other issues,” said Mr Ruddock.
ACTS is probably best known for running the Community Grocery at Beaumont Manor on Beaumont Fee, which was started following a start-up food bank at Central Methodist Church and moved when ACTS acquired Beaumont Manor and rebranded it.
Other recipients include the Red Arrows, former Lincoln City Football Club managers Danny and Nicky Cowley, Lincolnshire Society for History & Archaeology (SLHA), Lincoln’s New Theatre Royal and Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue’s team (part of the UK’s International Search & Rescue group) who were deployed to support efforts to help Turkey when it suffered a major earthquake.
Lincoln is continuing to grow and develop and the Award Trustees are now inviting people from all walks of life to nominate charity workers, sports men and women, businesses, educationists and/or health workers for this outstanding honour.
“Lincoln is continuing to attract investment and becoming more diverse and as a city has something to offer people of all ages. We are looking forward to receiving some great entries this time around, which will giving us a challenge when it comes to choosing the winner,” said Mr Ruddock.
The Lincoln Civic Award will be presented by the Mayor Councillor Alan Briggs at a ceremony in the city’s historic Guildhall on April 24.
People can make nominations by picking up a special form from the City of Lincoln Council’s offices (off Orchard Street and Beaumont Fee). Alternatively, they can make nominations digitally, by going online at: https://www.lincoln.gov.uk/lincoln/nominate-someone-for-the-civic-award/ Nominations close on February 28.