Call for Rochdale borough nominations for the South Pennines Park Awards 2023

Rochdale borough residents are being urged to nominate worthy individuals, businesses and organisations for the inaugural South Pennines Park Awards 2023.

The group is hoping to find remarkable people who celebrate nature and the diverse landscape within the South Pennines Park which covers 460 sq miles cutting across the Yorkshire and Lancashire borders and is home to 660,000 residents.

It covers the areas between Skipton to Otley, Bradford to Halifax, Huddersfield to Holmfirth, around the top of Derbyshire to Oldham, Rochdale and Bolton, Chorley and Darwen through to Burnley and joining back at Skipton.

The park is the only upland region in England not designated as a national park or an area of outstanding beauty but is considered to be a haven where the countryside and wildlife is enjoyed by thousands.

 

 

The awards feature seven categories and a Special Recognition judges’ award. They are open to individuals, businesses or groups who support the park’s ethos of ‘looking after nature and each other’.

The categories are: Sustainable Business Of The Year, Community Champion, Wellbeing Champion, Green Legacy Award, Nature Recovery Award, Young Nature Champion Of The Year, and Creative Champion Of The Year.

Helen Noble, chief executive of South Pennines Park, said: “We believe in celebrating both natural and built landscapes and the people within the park.

“We are continually enjoying new approaches to manage our park – with people and conservation at the heart of sustainable development.”

She added: “We hear about projects that promote the diversity, inclusivity and benefits that the park has to offer and projects that aim to protect the park for this and future generations.

“Often, these projects fly under the radar but we want to shine a light on the good work that people are doing and urge others to play a part in the protection of our landscape.”

People can enter nominees in as many of the seven categories as they like. The deadline is Friday 12 May.

A shortlist of four will be drawn up in each category the following week and the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in June.

For details and how to nominate an entry, visit the South Pennines Park website.