by Laura Horn, Engagement Coordinator
Finding out about the Awards
I met with Ali from Pioneer Approaches as I saw a project on their website called the Rumble Awards. I liked the sound of this as the awards were focused on the person’s spirit and how they make others feel, rather than their achievements.
I met with Ali to see how Our Voice could get involved and offer support for this event. She suggested that we promote the Awards and encourage people to nominate.
Paul comes on board
I had recently connected with a man in Watford called Paul who I thought would be a great candidate for a nomination. His employers nominated him and he won an award!
Helping the event
We also arranged for a few more things to help the event. These included:
- Two volunteers to help with set up on the day
- An artist called Neil to create a wonderful 3D themed selfie frame
- A luxury chocolate gift presentation pack for each winner
- A fancy chocolate box for each attendee ( both donated by Herts based companies)
- An activity and prize stand to engage people in conversation at the event- including fidget toys and donuts donated from the local Greggs)
- ‘Start a Chat’ conversation sheets on each table to encourage people to get to know new people.
- Two people to hand out compliment slips
- A person from Watford Workshop drew a large tree for people to pin their activity suggestions for the Herts Directory on.
The Awards
The Award ceremony was brilliant! Robbie and I met so many people as they came to take part in our ‘Activity Tree’ stand. There were many performances such as Poetry, Dance, Songs and Magic. This was all created and performed by the Rumbles group.
I loved the cheerleaders and how they chanted for every winner as they left the stage.
The whole audience got involved and the atmosphere was so uplifting!
The winners were celebrated for who they are and the personal qualities they have which enrich the lives of everyone around them. Each person had their story told as they received their award.
