About the Awards
What are the Ely Hero Awards?
Local community awards play a vital role in acknowledging the hard work, dedication, and impact of individuals and organisations within a community. These awards serve not only to honour outstanding contributions but also to inspire others to take an active role in local development. By highlighting the achievements of volunteers, community leaders, and local businesses, such recognition fosters a sense of pride and unity among residents.
Whether it’s a neighbour who always lends a helping hand, a teacher who goes the extra mile, or a volunteer tirelessly working behind the scenes, the Ely Hero Awards aim to recognise their invaluable contributions to the Ely area. Join us in celebrating the true heroes among us!
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Our team
Naomi Sherwood and Luke Smith co-founded the Ely Hero Awards in 2017. Since then, we’ve mustered up a whole army of supporters and helpers. Each year, the whole team volunteers their time to bring the awards to life.

Naomi Sherwood
Co-Founder

Luke Smith
Co-Founder
How do the Awards work?
Any individual who lives or works in Ely or the surrounding villages (up to a 10-mile radius) can be nominated for an Ely Hero Award in one of 10 categories. Nominations can be made via the website during each year’s nomination period.
Once the nomination period closes, the entries are collated and handed over to our dedicated team of judges, who together, whittle the nominations down to our fabulous finalists.
Finalists are then invited to the glitzy Award Ceremony – an evening of excitement and celebration, rewarding those in the community who make it great!
Since 2017...
We’ve been introduced to 1,031 Heroes.
We’ve crowned 75 winners and celebrated with 213 finalists.
We’ve supported and helped raise the profile of 7 local charities.
We’ve raised £5,813 for local charities.
Some of our winners have received Royal invites through the support of the Lord Lieutenancy.
Media support has given voices and opportunities to our Heroes by sharing their stories.