Recognising Tyrone's Eco Heroes: Nominations open for Live Here Love Community Awards

THE annual Live Here Love Here Community Awards are set to return February 4.

Nominations for the awards are open until October 25.

The awards recognise the efforts of community and voluntary groups across Northern Ireland working to build greener, stronger, and more resilient local neighbourhoods.

The Live Here Love Here Community Awards are delivered in partnership with nine local councils and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, and with support from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

This year’s awards are open to those who engaged with Live Here Love Here initiatives such as Green Flag for Parks community sites, Climate Ready training, Big Spring Clean, Adopt a Spot or Small Grants.

Locals are being encouraged to nominate the Tyrone groups and individuals that have dedicated their time to tackling local environmental issues and fostering a sense of civic pride in their communities.

Groups are also encouraged to self-nominate across the four award categories.

The ‘Community Together Award’, sponsored by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, recognises efforts to break down barriers and foster more inclusive community relations through environmental action.

The ‘Lasting Contribution Award’ celebrates groups established for at least five years that have consistently demonstrated environmental stewardship, while the ‘Bright Future Award’ recognises promising new groups, established less than three years ago, that have shown exceptional potential through environmental volunteering.

In addition, the ‘Regional Champions Award’ is open to groups carrying out volunteer-led environmental action within the nine participating partner councils that support the Live Here Love Here programme.

Live Here Love Here is a people powered campaign which aims to inspire and enhance awareness and involvement with tackling local environmental issues, creating greener landscapes, and building a sense of civic pride amongst communities across Northern Ireland.

Lynda Surgenor, Live Here Love Here manager commented on the continued importance of the awards.

She said: “The 2027 Community Awards mark a special moment by recognising and inspiring community action.

“From new groups with fresh and innovative ideas to those who have tirelessly dedicated years of their time to creating meaningful environmental change in their communities, the awards continue to recognise our unsung eco-heroes.

“We continue to see groups right across Northern Ireland play a fundamental role in transforming their neighbourhoods, from planting trees and enhancing local biodiversity, to renovating neglected public spaces into meaningful public spaces.

“These awards shine a well-deserved spotlight on all those behind the stewardship that so many of us take for granted, so I urge everyone to come forward and nominate those whose efforts, no matter how big or small, continue to bring meaningful environmental impact to their community.”

The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place at Belfast Castle on February 4, 2027.

Submissions across all categories can be at livehereloveherecommunity.org until nominations close on October 25.