The award categories for the 2008 Dragon Awards are listed
below. More details of how to apply, and application forms will be
posted on this website when the application process opens in
May.
Education | Economic
Regeneration | Social Inclusion |
Heart of the City |
Volunteer of the Year
Education Award
For companies working with educational establishments to raise
aspirations, improve educational attainment, maximise
career-development opportunities, and/or improve access to
work-related training. Examples could include:
- Mentoring
- Learning partnerships
- CV workshops
- Work experience
Judges will be looking for programmes that teach `skills for
life' that will significantly improve an individual's future
prospects.
Economic Regeneration Award
For companies that are contributing to the economic regeneration
of an area. Examples could include:
- Local procurement of goods and services
- Directly targeting local residents for job opportunities
- Helping local people to become more employable, eg through
mentoring, CV advice, offering work experience
- Providing professional skills and expertise to local
micro-businesses, SMEs, social enterprises or community
organisations through employee volunteering
- Providing financial or `in kind' assistance to local
businesses, social enterprises and community
organisations
Social Inclusion Award
For companies working on projects that aim to decrease/cut
social exclusion and/or improve the quality of life for socially
excluded groups of people. Examples could include working with:
- Young people in transition
- Homeless people
- Substance misusers
- Older people
- Young offenders
- Lone parents
- People on low incomes
Projects may be related to:
- Pro-bono advice
- Access to services
- Befriending
- Cultural activities
- Healthy eating
- Life-skills
- Sports
Heart of the City Award
Heart of the City is a City Corporation initiative which
provides free support for companies that are interested in
Corporate Community Involvement and the wider area of Corporate
Social Responsibility. With the help of leading businesses with
strong Corporate Social Responsibility programmes, Heart of the
City provides practical support to businesses that are developing
their own programmes. The Heart of the City Award recognises
companies that have set up an effective Corporate Community
Involvement programme for the first time in the last three years
(ie since April 2005). Your programme does not need to have a
full-time member of staff dedicated to it, but judges will be
looking for a commitment at strategic level.
Volunteer of the Year Award
In celebration of the great contributions one individual can
make, we invite schools, charities and community organisations to
submit nominations for a business volunteer who has made an
outstanding contribution to their organisation in 2007. Nominations
from companies will not be accepted.
The Lord Mayor’s Award
The Lord Mayor will award one company an extra Award that
recognises an exceptional programme in Corporate Community
Investment. The programme will encompass a wide range of community
engagement and be characterised by outstanding levels of staff
involvement at all levels of the organisation and a strong evidence
of leadership from the top.
We encourage all applicants to bear these in mind when writing
their applications. Organisations are not invited to apply for this
Award.
It will be chosen by the Lord Mayor out of all applications
received in Categories 1 – 4.
As with Categories 1 – 4, there is the possibility for two
Awards to be given: one to a small or medium-sized company, and one
to a large company.