‘In the deserts of poverty and loneliness, volunteers help a new humanity blossom in the garden that is God’s dream, always and everywhere, for all of us.‘
Pope Francis, Homily during Jubilee of Volunteering
We are delighted to welcome back the Diocese of Westminster’s ‘Love in Action’ Volunteering Awards for the Jubilee Year! This is a great opportunity to nominate volunteers who you think deserve to be recognised for their dedication to serving others.
With a number of categories to choose from, we are confident you will find one for your exceptional volunteer(s). Winners will be announced at our awards ceremony on 26 November.
Nominations are open from 2 June to 31 July 2025.
Scroll down to fill in the nomination form.
Who is eligible?
- Individuals or teams of volunteers
- Residents or volunteers within the Diocese of Westminster (see map here)
Nominees do not have to be linked to Caritas and can be of all faiths and none. Winners will be selected by an independent panel of judges.
Please note:
- You cannot nominate family members or previous winners in your chosen category
- If you wish to nominate more than one person or team, you must submit one nomination at a time
For more information, scroll down to the FAQs section or contact cvs@rcdow.org.uk.
Need a little inspiration?
Read about previous ‘Love in Action’ Award winners
‘Love in Action’ Volunteering Awards 2025 – Nomination Form
FAQ:
Here are the main points to consider when making your nomination:
1. What the judges are looking for
The panel will assess the following criteria in all categories:
- Outstanding commitment to volunteering
- Displaying the values of Catholic Social Teaching in at least one of the following areas: Human Dignity, Community and Participation, Dignity in Work, Option for the Poor, Solidarity and Peace, Care for Creation
- The impact of the volunteer/s’ efforts on the lives of the individuals and/or community they serve. Where appropriate for the category, contributions of the volunteer’s to community engagement. (“Community” could be their parish or school community or the wider surrounding community.) In the ‘Charity Volunteer Award’ category, the contribution to the mission of the charity is also considered. Stories, examples or case studies and figures can be helpful here to illustrate the difference the volunteer/s have made!)
2. Paint a vivid picture of the nominee(s)
Remember that the panel will only have your words to go by. Do not assume any prior knowledge of your project, parish, school, or charity. It is highly unlikely that the panel members know your nominee(s). Help them to see your nominee(s) through your eyes and understand why you think they are so special. Why should the panel choose them over all the other nominees? Tell their story in a detailed and compelling way. If possible, include testimonials from anyone they have helped (without specifying names). Before submitting, read through your nomination and imagine this is the first you ever heard about the nominee(s) and their work. How do they come across? Once happy, submit.
Some volunteers fall into an obvious category. For example, a group of volunteers who run a social action project within a parish can be nominated for the ‘Parish Social Action Award’.
Other volunteers may fall into multiple categories: someone who has been the backbone of a parish project for many years could be nominated for both the ‘Parish Social Action Award’ or the ‘Ronald Palmer Award’. As long as the criteria for a category are met, the choice is yours!
Please look at the information for each category to help you decide, or contact us for further help.
Who can be nominated for the School Social Action Award?
You can nominate individual students or a group of students at a primary or secondary school.
Note: you can nominate staff members, as part of a team or individually, for voluntary work only, i.e. if their activities clearly go above and beyond their paid job duties.
For example, the student(s) and/or staff member(s) could be involved with a foodbank run by the school, participate in other outreach activities, charity work, etc. Another example might be Caritas Ambassador groups.
For the criteria nominations will be judged on, please read the ‘Tips for writing a good nomination’ on this page.
Other categories you might like to consider are the ‘Young Volunteer/s of the Year Award’ or the ‘Ronald Palmer Award’ for lifelong achievement.
Who can be nominated for the Parish Social Action Award?
You can nominate individuals or teams of volunteers.
Nominees must be linked to a Catholic parish within the Diocese of Westminster, for example:
- As parishioners
- Volunteering for an outreach activity or project such as a food bank, homeless shelter or community café run by the parish or with the support of the parish. Projects can be aimed at serving parishioners or the wider community. Interdenominational or interfaith social outreach activities serving the wider community are good examples for the latter.
For the criteria nominations will be judged on, please read the ‘Tips for writing a good nomination’ on this page.
Who can be nominated for the ‘St Thérèse of Lisieux Award’?
“Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, or even at their difficulty, as at the love with which we do them.” St Thérèse of Lisieux.
This Award honours parishioners whose exceptional dedication to volunteering does not fit into the Parish Social Action category. It recognises vital acts of service that often go unnoticed or are considered ‘small’.
You could nominate, for example, flower arrangers, church cleaners, committee members, greeters, hospitality volunteers, musicians, livestream helpers, or catechists. Your nominee could also be someone who has no specific role or does lots of little jobs with great love. Nominate anyone who has served the parish with remarkable dedication.
Volunteers involved in parish social action projects (such as food banks, drop-ins for the homeless, refugee welcome groups, etc.) should be nominated for the Parish Social Action Award. For exceptional long- term service, the ‘Ronald Palmer Award’ (lifetime achievement) is another option. For young parishioners, you might consider the ‘Young Volunteer’ award. If you are not sure, please get in touch with Juliet or Elke at cvs@rcdow.org.uk.
Other categories you might like to consider are the ‘Ronald Palmer Award’ for lifetime achievement or the ‘Young Volunteer/s of the Year Award’.
Who can be nominated for the Charity Volunteer/s of the Year Award?
You can nominate individuals or teams of volunteers.
This award recognises an outstanding volunteer or volunteer team of a social action charity in the Diocese of Westminster. The charity does not have to be Catholic, but must have a link with the diocese. Examples of eligible charities are:
- Catholic charities based in or being active in the diocese
- Charities registered with the Caritas Volunteer Service
- Charities working in partnership with a Diocese of Westminster agency, for example Caritas Westminster, the Agency for Evangelisation, the Youth Ministry, or with a catholic school or with a parish social outreach project
If you are unsure if the charity qualifies, please contact cvs@rcdow.org.uk.
For the criteria nominations will be judged on, please read the ‘Tips for writing a good nomination’ on this page. The panel will give due consideration to the size of charities to ensure nominations from small and big charities will be evaluated fairly.
Who can be nominated for the Young Volunteer/s of the Year Award?
Nominees must be under 25 years old. For team nominations, all nominees must be under 25 years old. There is no minimum age requirement.
You can nominate individuals or groups of volunteers.
For the criteria nominations will be judged on, please read the ‘Tips for writing a good nomination’ on this page.
Other categories you might like to consider are the ‘Parish Social Action Award’, the ‘School Social Action Award’ or the ‘St Thérèse of Lisieux Award’.
Who can be nominated for the Ronald Palmer Award?
This is an award for individuals. If you wish to nominate more than one person, please submit separate forms for each one. Team nominations will not be considered.
This award is named after the late Ronald Ernest Bernard Palmer, who volunteered at Caritas St Joseph’s for several decades until he was over 100 years old. The category recognises outstanding social action involvement over a long period of time, and eligible volunteers must have served for at least 15 years. You can nominate an individual who is still volunteering or someone who has recently (since January 2025) retired from volunteering.
For the criteria nominations will be judged on, please read the ‘Tips for writing a good nomination’ on this page.
Other categories you might like to consider are the ‘Parish Social Action Award’, the ‘School Social Action Award’ of the ‘St Thérèse of Lisieux Award’.
Interested in volunteering? Looking for volunteers? The Caritas Volunteer Service is here to help.