Luton's Best Awards

Luton’s Best Awards

Love Luton is delighted to announce its 14th Luton’s Best Awards. The awards mission has always been to shine a light on the unsung heroes in the community.

Nominated by the public, previous winners have been from all walks of life, of all ages, and from all over the town. Their achievements are awe-inspiring and a lesson to us all. They say they are ordinary people, but quite often their acts are truly extraordinary.

Our winners come from hundreds of public nominations and stories of remarkable individuals and organisations. They are whittled down to a shortlist from which our judging panel, made up of sponsors who all have a stake in the future and success of our town.

Our nominees are honoured at the glittering Luton’s Best Awards ceremony which is being held at the five star Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa. This year’s event is booked for Friday 24th November 2023.

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Sunday 1st December 2024

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2023 Award Categories

With special thanks to this year’s award category sponsors.

Child of Courage Award

Judges will seek to recognise any young person up to the age of 18 who has put themselves in danger to help or save the life of another or has battled against the odds and has overcome adversity in their personal life or made a stand to improve the lot of themselves or others.

Young Achiever Award

This award will seek to recognise an outstanding effort and levels of achievement by a young person aged 20 or under, either in their school lives, work lives, in a sporting context or within the wider community.

Adult Achiever Award

This award will seek to recognise an individual over the age of 21 who continues to achieve great things at work, in their profession, through arts and culture, in the field of education, sport, or a hobby or pastime.

Service with a Smile Award

This award is looking for an individual or team employed either in the public, private or voluntary sector that goes above and beyond when it comes to customer service. Their effort and enthusiasm should have a positive effect on its customers and the business/organisation.

Community Company of the Year Award

This award is looking for an individual or team employed either in the public, private or voluntary sector that goes above and beyond. Their effort and enthusiasm should have a positive effect on the community. We are really keen to hear from organisations who have gone that extra mile to support the town during the pandemic, signed up and delivering against their Luton 2040 pledge, or joined the Good Business Charter.

Community Project of the Year Award

This Award will seek to recognise a Community-based Project which has been initiated by a local charity or voluntary organisation, community group, schools or by any other person or body. The Project must demonstrate a tangible community benefit, how it influenced the community, how many people it engaged and what will be the legacy impact and lasting benefits.Examples could include Projects which bring communities together, support the arts, environment, or promote community health.

In judging this award, the panel will be looking for quantified details of the project, outcomes, achievements and the effectiveness of what was delivered and the overall impact of the project.

Lifetime Achievement Award

To recognise an individual whose achievements have been far-reaching in the community. Examples can include a volunteer who has given up their time for many years, a local carer or a business person who has given many years to improving the lives of people in Luton.

Care in the Community Award

This award is for an individual or group from either a professional or voluntary capacity. Those eligible include relatives (including children), friends, doctors, nurses or care workers who care for someone or a group of people.

We are looking for an individual or group who have really gone that extra mile to care for our most vulnerable often showing incredible patience and understanding. Judges are looking for those who have cared for others sometimes over many years without giving thought to themselves.

Keeping Luton Safe Award

The judges will be looking for individual members of the public or groups who have put themselves at risk and acted with bravery and courage to help save the life or protect the well-being of another.

This could include tackling crime, disorder or anti-social behaviour. Another example could include individuals or groups which have made a positive community contribution in terms of improving the environment they live or work which improves the safety of others.

Environmental Achievement Award

An award to an individual or organisation demonstrating a commitment to enhancing and protecting our environment or a heritage site, introducing environmentally sustainable products or services and, in doing so, make a contribution to Luton’s environment or conservation areas. Examples could include an environmental community project; a school initiative involving children and parents or improving a conservation area to kick-start regeneration.

Best Volunteer Award

This award will recognise a volunteer(s) of any age who has made an outstanding contribution through giving up their own time to volunteer to help others, charities or initiatives across the town. We ask that entries are for individuals still active in their role but you can list all activities they have taken part in prior to 2021/2022.

Community Businessperson of the Year Award

An individual of any age working for an organisation or studying in the town who has shown a commitment and involvement with the local community and can demonstrate excellence in business which in turn enhances the image of the business community and Luton, locally or on a wider scale or someone who has provided superior service to the community. We are keen to hear from individuals who have supported the town during the pandemic.

Best Fundraiser Award

This award will recognise a tireless charity fund raiser/s of any age who has made an outstanding contribution either through their fundraising initiatives, voluntary work or other support. We ask that entries are for individuals still active in their role but you can list all activities they have taken part in prior to 2022/2023.

Luton in Harmony Award

An individual or organisation who has proactively promoted community cohesion and celebrated diversity in the town through their initiatives which have helped to improve the public image of Luton.

Sporting Inspiration Award

We are looking for an individual over the age of 18 who is a true sporting inspiration who has either excelled at their sport and/or helped others and is a positive role model. The entry should include:

A sports man or woman who has excelled in their chosen sport. Rankings and achievements made during the eligibility period must be given.
Have demonstrated considerable commitment.
Are an inspiration and positive role model to others.
Have used their achievements and experiences to make a positive impact on their community and/or club.
Special qualities that set them apart from others.

Leisure, Culture and Heritage Award

The judges will be looking to award an individual or organisation which has excelled and inspired either as a professional or amateur in the areas of sport, arts, leisure, culture and heritage. The individual or organisation will need to demonstrate the support, commitment and success they have provided to the development and promotion of these areas within the boundaries of Luton.

Inspirational Female Leader Award

From standing up for our local community, to running our most important organisations, women continue to shape our great town of Luton through their cool head: warm heart leadership. This award celebrates the huge wealth of outstanding contributions women have made to Luton and the surrounding area.

We would love to receive nominations for women who live in our diverse and thriving community. For a few moments, we can set aside their usual humility to showcase extraordinary examples of courage, triumph, kindness, compassion, transformation, skills and success. We want to hear where they’ve gone above and beyond in the course of their professional or personal life.

Entrepreneur of the Year Award

This award is open to any individual over the age of 16 studying or working in Luton. Entrepreneurs make a huge difference locally, nationally and internationally. They not only have great ideas, but also the drive to make them a reality. They use their fresh thinking and hard work to create positive social change — bringing new concepts and products to market, and creating jobs and wealth.

The award will go to the outstanding entrepreneur who can best demonstrate the following:

Exceptional visionary and inspirational leadership
Identification of a market opportunity
How employees and resources were applied to optimise the opportunity
Strong commercial performance, financial results and demonstrable growth
Potential and plan for sustained growth
Innovation in products, services or processes
Customer engagement and loyalty
An ethical approach to business

Luton's Most Outstanding Citizen 2023 Award

This award seeks to recognise an outstanding citizen of any age group or walk of life who has excelled or gone above and beyond in 2023. For example this person could be a member of the business or community sector and anyone who has benefited the people of Luton. This could be in a professional capacity, volunteering or local charity work. It could be a neighbour a relative or anyone who, in your view, typifies the very best of Luton. This will be a highly contested award that seeks to recognise Luton’s Most Outstanding Citizen in 2023.

Step Forward Luton Award

A new category for 2023! This award seeks to recognise an individual or organisation’s outstanding achievements in promoting Luton as a town to be proud of. Judges will be looking for: Examples of how the work has helped to gain local and national media coverage for the town and where their work has significantly contributed to the overall image to visitors and those living outside the town as well as significantly improving the lives of local people and supporting civic pride. Another example is those who may have significantly contributed to Step Forward Luton and helped to deliver towards Luton 2040.

Health Hero Award

A new category for 2023! This award seeks to recognise and honour the hard work of an individual or group of healthcare staff, in roles vital to the provision of patient care across Luton and the surrounding areas.

We want to recognise the amazing work of healthcare workers in these challenging times for the system and to ensure we celebrate all the amazing people who work across the health service going above and beyond every day for patients and their colleagues.

This can be an individual, group or organisation providing healthcare services across Luton and Bedfordshire.

The People's Choice Award

The readers of the Luton News and Herald & Post will have the opportunity to pick the winner they feel is most deserving. On the week of 30th October the newspaper will announce the shortlisted candidates. You will have until Sunday 19th November to pick your worthy winner.

You can do this by visiting: http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/

Additional Sponsors

With thanks to our partners who are supporting this year’s event by sponsoring other aspects of the evening:

Drinks reception
and venue sponsor

Sponsoring the evening’s
winners award prizes

Treacle Factory, Think. Design. Print. Digital.

Sponsoring the table favours at the glittering Award Ceremony