Volunteer awards

Nominations for this year’s Volunteer Awards are now open. Help us recognise our volunteer stars at Scope. You can nominate an individual Scope volunteer or team of volunteers in one of 9 award categories. Nominations are also open to the public.

At Scope we use the social model of disability. It is important that you consider this in your nomination.

The social model says that people are disabled by barriers in society and not by their impairment or condition. The barriers can be physical things such as buildings being inaccessible. Barriers can also be people’s attitudes. For example making assumptions that disabled people are unable to do certain things. 

When writing your nomination please use the social model of disability. Please do not share personal disability details of the person you are nominating. If you need advice before submitting your nomination, please contact the Volunteering Team. Email volunteering@scope.org.uk or call 0203 855 0838.

• Tell your nominee's story and try to share at least one specific example.
• Aim for 50 to 300 words.
• The more information you give us on your nomination, the easier it will be for our judging panel to shortlist.
• Make sure it's as relevant to the award category as possible.
• Tell us how this individual or team has shown commitment to Scope’s strategy, An Equal Future.
• Get help from other people who know your nominee to make a stronger nomination.
• You might find it easier to draft your nomination first and then copy it into the nomination form.

Contact the Volunteering Team if you need any help.

We are really looking forward to receiving all your nominations of Scope’s amazing volunteers! Thank you. If you have any further questions, please do get in touch by emailing volunteering@scope.org.uk.

We have guidance for each category below. 

In your nomination please think about the following:

• Has the team gone above and beyond? How have they shown dedication and determination?
• How have the team stood out from other shops and generated income?
• Have the team been innovative? Have they tried new ideas?
• How have the team connected with the local community or another community?

Application criteria:

• Started before December 2024.
• Has volunteered for less than 18 months.
• Is still a current volunteer.

In your nomination please think about the following:

• What has the volunteer brought to their role and contributed to their team?
• How have they shown commitment and dedication to their role?
• Have they gained more confidence and experience?

The volunteer for this category needs to be between 14 to 25 years old.

In your nomination please think about the following:

• Has the young person been a role model for other young volunteers? Have they set a positive example and encouraged other young people to volunteer?
• How has the volunteer shown personal growth? Such as with their confidence, improvement in their tasks, taking on new tasks and gaining new skills.
• Did the volunteer start out as a work experience, Duke of Edinburgh student or other placement then stay on after it ended?

In your nomination please think about the following:

• What support does the volunteer give to others that makes them stand out?
• If they are a retail volunteer, have they supported other volunteers across the shop? Have they supported in other shops?
• How has their experience helped them in their role to support other volunteers or customers?
• Have they personalised their support to the person or people they support?
• What difference and impact has their support made?

In your nomination please think about the following:

• How has the volunteer built up their skills and achievements?
• What progress have they made since becoming a volunteer?
• Has the volunteer taken any extra training to improve themselves in their role?
• Have they gained confidence over time?

This category is for volunteers who have left or are due to leave in 2025. This could be for any reason including work experience and a shop closure.

In your nomination please think about the following:

• How did they contribute and give support to their team.
• What positive impact did they have on the team?

This category is for volunteers who have built up relationships with the communities around them or that they are part of. This could be the local community, a community group or a specific community such as the disabled community.

In your nomination please think about the following:

• How has the volunteer built relationships with a community or communities?
• How does the volunteer support with one or more communities?
• How has the volunteer been inclusive with a community?

In your nomination please think about the following:

• How long the volunteer has been with Scope and the impact their volunteering has had.
• Has the volunteer had any achievements in their role that have had lasting effects in their team?
• Their dedication to their role and Scope.

In your nomination please think about the following:

• How the volunteer has provided reliable support.
• How the volunteer has actively listened to customers and given individual customer service.
• How the volunteer makes customers feel welcome, valued and supported.

Please follow this link to make your nomination. You can nominate as many individuals or teams as you like!