A BASINGSTOKE award event is marking a milestone moment this year as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Past winners of the A Place to be Proud of Awards are being invited to come along to be part of the special occasion as it marks two decades of recognising people who make a difference in the borough.

Nominations are now open for the 2023 A Place to be Proud of Awards, which first launched in Basingstoke in 2003.

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Since then, hundreds of wonderful finalists and winners have been recognised for their outstanding achievements in, or contributions to, Basingstoke and Deane.

The team at Destination Basingstoke, with the support of community-focused sponsors, have organised the awards for many years, and this successful partnership is the driving force behind the 2023 awards which will culminate in the grand finale at The Haymarket Theatre, in Basingstoke, on the evening of Thursday, June 8.

And to mark the special occasion, free tickets are being made available to the first 100 past winners who apply to come along.

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Jonathan Pender, chair of Destination Basingstoke, said: “The A Place to be Proud of Awards is always a special occasion, and this year’s event will be particularly memorable as we celebrate the 20th birthday of the awards.

“Destination Basingstoke, with the support of fantastic sponsors and key partners, has been delighted to deliver these awards for many years, and it is always wonderful to put the spotlight on the people, businesses and community organisations that make Basingstoke and Deane a place to be proud of.

“The judges are looking forward to receiving lots of nominations and to selecting the finalists and winners for this landmark occasion.

“We are all also looking forward to welcoming back past winners. It will be great to see some familiar faces and to bring together so many people, and organisations, to be proud of.”

There are a range of categories, all sponsored by local businesses. The awards are free to enter, and the categories are:

• Health & Wellbeing Award – sponsored by Lilly

• Community Project Award – sponsored by Face TV

• Above and Beyond Award – sponsored by Castle Trust Bank

• Volunteer of the Year Award – sponsored by Beaufort Financial (Reading) (TBC)

• Arts & Entertainment Award – sponsored by Basingstoke Community Radio

• Young Role Model Award – sponsored by Queen Mary’s College

• Unsung Hero Award – sponsored by Champion Group

• Business and the Community Award – available for sponsorship

The 100 free tickets have been reserved for past winners on a first come, first served basis. To get yours, please email Mark Jones on mark.jones@destinationbasingstoke.co.uk, stating what award you won and when. The deadline to register for these free tickets is March 31 but this opportunity will close early if all the tickets are taken and allocated.

Destination Basingstoke will once again be working with Basingstoke Voluntary Action, as a key partner, to help ensure the call to nominate reaches every part of the community, and the Gazette, which was a founder of the awards in 2003, will again be the media partner for the 20th year.

Nominations can be made online at destinationbasingstoke.co.uk and the closing date is April 28, 2023. All nominees of finalists will be invited to the awards ceremony.